What if choosing a woman as UN Secretary-General were key to the future of multilateralism?

"This is the starting point of the annual report Women in Multilateralism by the organization GWL Voices, which brings together more than 80 female leaders from 39 countries, and which was presented on Thursday in Madrid. With months to go before selecting a replacement for Antonio Guterres, this organization, made up of women who have held and currently hold positions in governments and multilateral institutions, focuses on this anachronism, which reflects decades of female underrepresentation in the most important positions in decision-making bodies."

"Electing a woman as UN Secretary-General could be key to change. Because there are many things that need to be changed, such as the UN Charter, which is quite outdated, Helen Clark, former prime minister of New Zealand, who was a candidate for secretary-general in 2016, told a group of journalists. According to this founder of GWL Voices, these principles need to be reviewed."

"There is a campaign underway in civil society to make this happen, and she expressed her hope that a future secretary-general will carry it out. The UN would improve people's quality of life if it were more active. It could do more in terms of peace and security. It could be more effective in raising funds for humanitarian disasters. It could be more proactive in promoting the development goals. All of these things have an impact on people's lives, she stated."

Women have held high-level public responsibilities at the United Nations and multilateral organizations but remain underrepresented for the post of UN Secretary-General. GWL Voices, a network of more than 80 female leaders from 39 countries, highlights the anachronism and calls for change. Electing a woman to the secretary-general role could catalyze reforms including reviewing the UN Charter and increasing UN activity on peace and security, humanitarian funding, and development goals. A civil society campaign supports these reforms and hopes a future secretary-general will implement them. Antonio Guterres's term ends December 31, 2026; the selection process has begun and GWL Voices favors a woman, ideally from Latin America.

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