The authorities of Tonga have announced the candidacy of Ivonne Baki, former Minister of Commerce of Ecuador, for the position of Secretary-General of the United Nations, replacing António Guterres, whose term expires on December 31.
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“I am pleased to present, on behalf of the Government of the Kingdom of Tonga, the candidacy of (…) Ivonne Baki for the position of Secretary-General of the United Nations,” said the permanent representative of this country to the organization, Viliami Va’inga Tone, in a letter addressed to the President of the UN General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock, and the Presidency of the Security Council, this month headed by the Danish representative, Christina Markus Lassen.
The ambassador of Tonga has defended Baki’s candidacy highlighting her “experienced leadership, capable of uniting everyone” in the face of a “critical moment of transition” that the United Nations is experiencing. “I am convinced that Ambassador Baki possesses the experience, diplomatic skill, and integrity necessary to mobilize the international community in order to strengthen multilateralism and promote the purposes and principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter,” he pointed out.
Tone also emphasized Baki’s career of more than 20 years, including the promotion of “international initiatives on sustainable development and intercultural dialogue,” and her advocacy for environmental protection and the search for “consensus” among different regions.
Baki’s candidacy is the eighth presented to replace Guterres at the head of the UN Secretariat, behind the former Foreign Minister of Uganda Olara Otunnu. Also notable are the former President of Chile Michelle Bachelet and the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Argentine Rafael Grossi.
The Security Council is expected to reach an agreement in the coming months on the next person to lead the organization and present its recommendation to the General Assembly for approval, although so far the latter has not opted for a candidate other than the one proposed by the group of 15 countries.
Baki, 75, has served as Ecuador’s ambassador to the United States for four years, from 2020 to 2024, under three different presidents: Lenín Moreno, Guillermo Lasso, and Daniel Noboa, and previously, between 1999 and 2002, under the mandates of Yamil Mahuad and Gustavo Noboa.
She has also served as a diplomatic representative in Qatar, France, and Lebanon. In the political sphere, Baki presided over the Andean Parliament between 2007 and 2009 and was Minister of Foreign Trade from 2003 to 2005.
