On June 12, Guyanese President Irfaan Ali made a landmark announcement confirming that his government has officially put forward Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, the nation’s current permanent representative to the United Nations, as its candidate to succeed outgoing UN Secretary-General António Guterres, whose second and final term concludes at the end of 2026.
In his official statement, President Ali emphasized that Rodrigues-Birkett’s nomination marks a pivotal moment that reflects both Guyana’s expanding global footprint and the small Caribbean nation’s growing ambition to contribute more meaningfully to the multilateral global system. The head of state pointed to Guyana’s recent assumption of a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2024–2025 term as evidence of the country’s rising international standing, highlighting its active engagement in critical global debates spanning peace and security, climate action, food security, sustainable development, and global energy security in recent years.
Against the backdrop of this growing influence, Ali noted that the time has come for Guyana to put forward a candidate for the UN’s most senior diplomatic post. “Guyana has steadily emerged as an increasingly prominent and influential voice within the international community,” Ali stated, framing the nomination as a natural next step for the nation’s evolving global role.
Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett is widely recognized as one of Guyana’s most seasoned and accomplished diplomats. She has served as the country’s permanent representative to the UN Headquarters in New York since 2020, a tenure that saw her play a central leadership role during Guyana’s ongoing Security Council term. Before taking up her current UN posting, Rodrigues-Birkett held multiple senior roles across global and national governance, including serving as Director of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Liaison Office in Geneva. She has also held several cabinet positions in the Guyanese government, including Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs, giving her decades of high-level experience in both domestic governance and international diplomacy.
President Ali underscored that Rodrigues-Birkett brings the deep diplomatic expertise, extensive global network, and proven leadership skills needed to guide the United Nations through an era defined by overlapping global crises: ongoing armed conflicts, accelerating climate change, widespread food insecurity, and rising geopolitical polarization. “These challenging times demand a leader with the credentials and vision to unite the international community around shared solutions,” Ali noted.
The nomination also marks a defining step in Guyana’s efforts to cement its presence on the global stage. If Rodrigues-Birkett is successfully elected, she will make history as the first person from Guyana to hold the post of UN Secretary-General, and only one of a small number of leaders from the Caribbean region to ever lead the world body.
Over the coming months, the selection process for the new Secretary-General will unfold through intensive behind-the-scenes diplomatic consultations among the UN’s 193 member states. The final appointment follows an established procedure, requiring endorsement by the UN Security Council before formal approval by the UN General Assembly.