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Prime Minister John Briceño has announced Belize’s support for Guyana’s Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett to become the next Secretary-General of the United Nations. Speaking at the General Assembly, Briceño said her appointment would be historic for the Caribbean, but argued that her record is the stronger reason to back her. Rodrigues-Birkett is Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the UN and has served as president of the Security Council. Guyana formally nominated her earlier this year. If selected, she would be the first woman and the first person from the Caribbean to lead the United Nations.
John Briceño, Prime Minister of Belize: “Mr. President this is a new dawn for my country and a moment of renewal for this organization. This year the United Nations selects it’s 10th secretary general. Belize proudly supports the candidacy of Her Excellency Carolyn Rodriguez Bricket of Guyana. A distinguished daughter of the Caribbean. A Caribbean woman at the helm of the United Nations would be historic but history alone is not the argument. Her record is the next secretary general will inherit an institution under strain and a world impatient for results. Small and vulnerable states must be placed at the center of the organization’s work not at the margins of decisions that determine our survival.”
Belize’s endorsement adds its voice to Rodrigues-Birkett’s campaign. The Security Council must recommend a candidate before the General Assembly makes the appointment, and any of the Council’s five permanent members can block a recommendation. The Secretary-General leads the UN’s operations, speaks for the organisation during international crises and can bring threats to peace before the Security Council. The choice matters particularly to countries such as Belize, which look to the UN to make their voices heard on climate change, development and security. The next Secretary-General is expected to take office in January, when António Guterres’s term ends.
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