Mottley says national, regional responsibilities behind decision not to seek UN top job

NEW YORK, United States (CMC) – Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley says her responsibilities to Barbados and the wider Caribbean are among the main reasons she decided not to seek the post of United Nations Secretary-General.

Mottley addressed the issue during a discussion earlier this week, hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, where she was asked why she had chosen not to enter the race to succeed António Guterres.

“I have a country to run and a region to take care of,” Mottley said, pointing to her continuing responsibilities at home and across the Caribbean. She also joked about whether the international community was ready for her outspoken style, saying she was “not sure that the world wants somebody whose tongue is as heavy as mine”.