Former Chilean President Bachelet Withdraws From UN Secretary-General Race After Receiving Low Support

Former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet has withdrawn her candidacy for the position of United Nations Secretary-General, ending her bid to become the first woman to lead the world body.

Bachelet, 74, announced her decision on Saturday in a video posted on Instagram, saying she had decided not to continue her campaign for the UN's top position.

Her withdrawal came after the UN Security Council conducted its third informal straw poll on Friday. Bachelet received one “encourage” vote, while 11 members voted “discourage” and three expressed “no opinion”. She had received six encouraging votes in July and two in August.

Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan, head of the UN Trade and Development agency, received nine “encourage” votes in the latest poll, while Guyana’s Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett received eight.

Other candidates remaining in the race include International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Grossi, former Senegalese President Macky Sall and Ecuadorian diplomat Maria Fernanda Espinosa.

A candidate must secure at least nine votes from the 15-member Security Council and avoid a veto from any of its five permanent members — China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States — to be recommended to the General Assembly.

Bachelet was nominated by Chile in February with support from Brazil and Mexico. Latin America is expected to have a strong claim in the selection process, following the region's historical rotation for the UN's top post.

The successful candidate will succeed António Guterres, whose term ends on December 31. The new secretary-general will inherit an organisation facing major financial pressures and diplomatic divisions over conflicts including Gaza and Ukraine.

Guterres has warned that the UN is facing serious financial difficulties, with $1.57 billion in unpaid member-state dues accumulated by the end of 2025.

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