By Marvin Cato | HGP Nightly News |
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has unanimously reaffirmed its full endorsement of Guyanese diplomat and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, for the post of United Nations Secretary-General, issuing a resolute joint call for Latin America and the Caribbean to assume the mantle of leadership of the global body.
The formal reaffirmation was issued on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, by the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM following its 44th Intersessional Meeting held on October 23.
The 15-member regional bloc urged the United Nations Security Council and the UN General Assembly to strictly uphold equitable geographical representation and honor the established convention of regional rotation as the multilateral body selects its next chief executive to succeed António Guterres.
CARICOM stressed that appointing a national from Latin America and the Caribbean—and specifically a CARICOM woman—would not only safeguard the principle that small island and developing states can lead global multilateral institutions, but also mark a transformative and historic milestone in the United Nations’ 81-year history.
Integrity, Multilateralism, and Two Decades of Public Service
The regional bloc reaffirmed the initial unanimous endorsement first articulated in the Communiqué of the Fifty-First Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government, issued on July 10, 2026:
- Multilateral Track Record: Heads of Government cited Rodrigues-Birkett’s more than twenty-five years of experience spanning grassroots public policy, national ministerial portfolios, parliamentary leadership, high-level diplomatic missions, and the international civil service.
- Consensus Builder in Volatile Times: CARICOM declared its absolute confidence in her integrity, diplomatic acumen, and proven ability to navigate a fractured geopolitical landscape, describing her as a change agent equipped to lead institutional renewal in strict alignment with the UN Charter.
- Prior High-Level Portfolios: Rodrigues-Birkett previously served as Guyana’s Minister of Amerindian Affairs (2001–2008), Minister of Foreign Affairs (2008–2015), Director of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Liaison Office in Geneva (2018–2020), and Chair of the Group of 77 and China (2020) before steering Guyana’s tenure as an elected member of the UN Security Council (2024–2025).
“Heads of Government recalled and reaffirmed their decision to fully endorse the candidacy of Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, a distinguished daughter of Guyana and the Caribbean, for the post of Secretary-General… They affirmed their confidence in the ability and integrity of Ambassador Rodrigues-Birkett to effectively lead the United Nations in this season of pressing global challenges and needed institutional reform and renewal, in full consonance with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.”
Aligning with CELAC: Regional Rotation and Equitable Balance
To reinforce their campaign across the wider hemisphere, CARICOM Heads recalled the Declaration of the Foreign Ministers of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) on the selection process, adopted in New York on September 21, 2026:
- Equitable Geographical Balance: Regional leaders insisted that the customary practice of regional rotation is not a mere procedural formality, but an indispensable safeguard for all nations—particularly small, vulnerable developing states seeking to contribute to global peace and sustainable development.
- Hemispheric Consensus: The statement underscored the growing consensus across Latin America and the Caribbean, noting that the region has not held the position of Secretary-General since Peru’s Javier Pérez de Cuéllar concluded his term in 1991.
- Broad International Outreach: CARICOM expressed profound appreciation for the international cross-regional support already extended to Rodrigues-Birkett, noting that member states are actively coordinating diplomatic missions across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Pacific to champion her candidacy.
Breaking the 81-Year Ceiling: A CARICOM Woman to Lead
The selection process to determine the successor to António Guterres—whose constitutional mandate concludes on December 31, 2026—comes amid widespread calls for gender parity at the pinnacle of global governance.
In its concluding remarks, the Conference of Heads of Government emphasized the symbolic and substantive weight of the nomination:
- Breaking the Glass Ceiling: In the 81-year existence of the United Nations, nine men have served as Secretary-General, with no female ever appointed to the post.
- A New Global Chapter: CARICOM declared that the election of a qualified, experienced Indigenous woman from the Caribbean would mark a transformative chapter for global diplomacy, ensuring that developing economies, climate-vulnerable nations, and women worldwide are authentically represented at the highest level of international statecraft.
