Michelle Bachelet, former two‑term Chilean president and ex‑UN human rights chief, has been nominated for UN secretary‑general and says the world is "ready" for its first female leader. She is seeking endorsement from Chile's president‑elect Jose Antonio Kast and pledges to prioritise modernising the UN for greater efficiency, effectiveness and transparency. Bachelet also suggested regional mediation — by leaders such as Lula and Sheinbaum — could help defuse Venezuela–US tensions. Several other Latin American candidates and Argentina's Rafael Grossi are also in contention.
Michelle Bachelet Says 'The World Is Ready' as She Seeks UN's First Female Secretary‑General Post
Chile's former president Michelle Bachelet believes it's time for a woman at the helm of the UN (Raul BRAVO)(Raul BRAVO/AFP/AFP)
Michelle Bachelet, the two‑term former president of Chile and former UN human rights chief, is campaigning to become the United Nations' first female secretary‑general and says the world is "ready" for a woman to lead the organisation.
The 74‑year‑old was nominated in September by outgoing president Gabriel Boric. On Monday she met Chile's president‑elect, Jose Antonio Kast, seeking his endorsement as she advances in the selection process for the UN's top post.
"The world is ready," Bachelet told AFP, adding that a woman could make "a different contribution through a different kind of leadership."
If appointed, she said she would prioritise modernising the UN to make it "more efficient, more effective, and more transparent." Bachelet has highlighted management reform and transparency as key areas for change.
Experience and Background
Bachelet has a long record in public service: she was the first woman to serve as Chile's defence minister, the first elected female president of Chile (serving 2006–2010 and 2014–2018), the inaugural head of UN Women, and later the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Her experience positions her as a familiar figure within both regional and global diplomacy.
Why This Moment Matters
The UN is marking its 80th year and has never been led by a woman. Only one Latin American — Peru's Javier Pérez de Cuéllar (1982–1991) — has previously held the secretary‑general post. The role traditionally rotates among world regions, and with António Guterres's current term ending, Latin America is widely considered next in line.
On Venezuela and Regional Mediation
Asked about escalating tensions between Venezuela and the United States — which have included a US naval presence in the Caribbean, strikes on suspected drug‑smuggling vessels and seizures of oil tankers — Bachelet suggested that mediation outside the full UN Security Council or General Assembly might sometimes be more effective.
She pointed to offers by regional leaders, including Brazil's Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Mexico's Claudia Sheinbaum, to mediate and noted that when a major party to a dispute is a Security Council permanent member with veto power, alternative mediation channels can be preferable.
"It doesn't always have to be the full General Assembly, the full Security Council," she said. "Having powerful mediators from the region... could be a solution."
Other Candidates
Several other Latin American women are also in the running, including Costa Rica's Rebeca Grynspan (head of UNCTAD), Mexico's Alicia Bárcena (environment minister), and Barbados' Prime Minister Mia Mottley. The only other leading candidate from the region named so far is Argentina's Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
As the selection process unfolds, endorsements from regional governments and UN member states will be decisive in determining who leads the organisation into its next decade.
