UNSC campaign: Allegiance would be to UN Charter, international law – Rodrigues-Birkett

…says committed to balancing needs of small, large countries if elected

Guyana’s candidate for the United Nations (UN) Secretary General (SG) post, Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, has made it clear that her allegiance would be to the UN Charter and international law if given an opportunity to serve in the office. She made these remarks during a recent appearance on a Virtual Dialogue on “The Future of Global Leadership”, convened by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) within the framework of the World Governments Summit (WGS). The Ambassador responded to questions about her vision and priorities as a candidate for the position of Secretary General of the UN. Rodrigues-Birkett was specifically asked about how she intends to balance representing both developed and developing countries, especially given the fact that she hailed from a small nation that not only represents many similar global voices but is also seeking the UN’s support on a number of issues. In response, the Ambassador pointed out that while the UN is made up mainly of small countries – with over 100 nations having under 10 million persons, the Secretary General (SG) represents all 193 nations around the world.

“As Secretary General, the only bias I would have is to the [UN] Charter and to international law. And so, whatever I do as Secretary General must be in consonance with the Charter and with international law,” she asserted. According to Rodrigues-Birkett, there must be a balance when it comes to representing large and small and medium-sized countries. In fact, she contended that these nations need each other, arguing that they all face similar global challenges in most cases.