Center for Human Rights and Policy Studies (CHRIPS) and Saferworld

Summary

Espinosa proposes a Prevention and Early Action Hub reporting directly to the Secretary-General, with integrated early warning and rapid political engagement capacity. She champions a “local first” approach with the UN enabling prevention implementation by others.

Profile

Espinosa places prevention at the heart of her candidacy, saying she will strive as Secretary-General to preserve political space for dialogue, strengthen mediation and enable early action. She has framed prevention as both a structural reform imperative and a practical delivery challenge.

On funding, Espinosa has called for prevention, peacemaking, peacekeeping and post-conflict peacebuilding to be staffed, funded and politically supported as parts of a single continuum rather than sequential responses. She has identified the current imbalance between crisis response funding and prevention investment as one of the UN's most significant structural failures. She has acknowledged that narrow earmarking of voluntary contributions constrains prevention investment and argued that funding must always follow agreed priorities.

Her most concrete structural commitment is the establishment of a Prevention and Early Action Hub reporting directly to the Secretary-General's office. This Hub would consolidate risk analysis, early warning and rapid political engagement capacity from across the UN system to ensure that warning reaches decision-makers early enough to act before escalation narrows available options.

Espinosa draws upon her experience participating in peace talks in Colombia. She has championed shuttle diplomacy but argues that the UN does not hold a monopoly on peacemaking, and its value lies in supporting, connecting and sustaining political processes led by national actors, regional organizations and diplomatic coalitions. She proposes a “local first” approach in which the UN acts only when others cannot, freeing institutional capacity for higher-value early engagement rather than direct implementation.

On emerging threats, she has noted that the UN must anticipate and actively manage the global fallout from violent conflict, identifying terrorism, transnational organized crime, food security, energy shocks and inflation as issues that need to be embedded into a full system response. She has also proposed a Global Energy Security coordination mechanism and a sustained Secretary-General's Dialogue on Emerging Technologies as new prevention-oriented convening platforms.

She has offered less detail on the Women, Peace and Security agenda as a prevention approach or the link between prevention and peacebuilding.

Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping, and Peacebuilding (CCCPA) and International Peace Institute (IPI)

Summary

Espinosa envisions a continuum encompassing prevention, peacemaking, peacekeeping and peacebuilding, emphasizing preventive efforts. She supports an examination of peacekeeping effectiveness and impact. She advocates for sustainable financing, leveraging partnerships — including through resolution 2719 — and engaging troop contributors.

Profile

Espinosa has articulated a vision of the UN’s peace and security architecture in which “prevention, peacemaking, peacekeeping, and peacebuilding are one dynamic continuum.” She emphasizes prevention as the core of this architecture and calls for prioritizing investment in early warning capacities and preventive diplomacy, arguing that peacekeeping operations are deployed “when it’s already too late.” 

Regarding the future of peace operations, Espinosa has advocated for stronger partnerships with regional organizations and committed to using her good offices to support the full implementation of resolution 2719. She has also called for “constant evaluation” of peacekeeping operations and for predictable and sustainable peacekeeping financing and a detailed examination of the impact of each peacekeeping operation, noting “the UN has been conducting peacekeeping operations for over 20 years, and they cost a fortune.”  

As Ecuador’s permanent representative to the UN from 2008 to 2009, Espinosa occasionally addressed the Security Council on issues related to UN peace operations, often calling for greater engagement with troop-contributing countries. During this time, and later as Ecuador’s national defense minister, she oversaw the deployment of Ecuadorian peacekeepers to the UN mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). 

As president of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly she stressed the importance of ensuring mission mandates are “practical, realistic and well-funded,” as key factors in strengthening peacekeeper safety and security. During this time, she also co-chaired the first informal interactive dialogue between the Assembly and the Peacebuilding Commission, during which she emphasized the importance of national ownership for peacebuilding processes, promoted partnerships and advocated for institutionalizing the relationship between the two bodies.

Throughout her career, Espinosa has advocated for gender parity in UN peacekeeping and championed Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. 

ODI Global

Summary

Espinosa supports a “local first” approach and believes humanitarian action can contribute to rebuilding public trust in the UN. She advocates for more consistent humanitarian funding.  She plans to establish a Prevention and Early Action Hub.

Profile

Espinosa has said that international humanitarian law must be upheld in all circumstances, noting that humanitarian access, protection of civilians and the safety of humanitarian workers are legal and moral obligations. She has expressed solidarity with the families of humanitarian workers who were killed in recent months. Espinosa asserts that humanitarian continuity and operational readiness require safeguarding, and has suggested the UN’s humanitarian response mechanisms are a way to rebuild public trust in the UN.

In contrast to most other candidates, Espinosa emphasizes a “local first” approach, with agencies, funds and programs operating to support local, national and regional capacity in development and humanitarian contexts.

On reform, Espinosa has proposed creating a Prevention and Early Action Hub in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General to facilitate risk analysis, early warning and rapid political engagement. She has also advocated for more consistent and predictable humanitarian funding, arguing that “humanitarian continuity is not discretionary, to be turned on and off with callous disregard for immediate human consequences. It requires safeguarding core life-saving capabilities, preserving operational readiness, and ensuring that modernization efforts do not inadvertently punish the most vulnerable.” She views current humanitarian reform proposals as good starting points, but has not publicly expressed a more detailed view.

Espinosa oversaw the strengthening of humanitarian standards in her role as the head of Ecuador’s Ministry of National Defense, and she represented Ecuador as Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office at Geneva and across a range of international bodies, including the Human Rights Council, ILO, WHO, UNCTAD, UNHCR, IOM, the Conference on Disarmament and humanitarian organizations.

Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD) and Southern Voice

Summary

Espinosa prioritizes nationally led development and argues that countries need resources, technology and institutional capacity to deliver sustainable development. She calls for international financial architecture reform. She sees implementation as the main challenge to achieving the SDGs.

Profile

Espinosa’s approach centers on national ownership, giving countries greater agency over their development pathways while addressing the financial and institutional constraints that limit progress. She has argued that development cannot be designed or delivered from New York and that countries should define and lead their own priorities.

She has called for the UN’s role to shift “from direct implementation toward support, coordination, resources and capacity-building.” Under this model, the UN would provide “strategic guidance, normative standards, foresight, and technical expertise” to national governments that would lead on implementation. 

If selected, Espinosa has committed to using her convening power as Secretary-General to create the political conditions for international financial architecture reform. She has linked development challenges to debt burdens, limited access to concessional finance and broader financial constraints affecting vulnerable countries. While she consistently calls for reform, she has provided limited detail on the institutional changes she would pursue.

Espinosa has described the Sustainable Development Goals as “the right ambition” and “the right roadmap,” identifying implementation as the main challenge. She has also called for discussions on a post-2030 framework to begin before the current SDG cycle concludes.

Technology, particularly artificial intelligence, occupies a distinct place in Espinosa’s development agenda. She has argued that AI should be understood not only as a technological issue but also as a matter of jobs, economic opportunity, security, ethics and rights. She has emphasized the need for governance arrangements that are inclusive and not dominated by a small number of actors.

Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL) and GQUAL Campaign

Summary

Espinosa emphasizes human rights as central to the UN's mandate, supports mainstreaming and prevention, and acknowledges underfunding. She highlights women’s rights and WPS. She supports diversity and geographical representation but does not specifically commit to gender parity. 

Profile

Espinosa has committed to upholding the UN Charter and international law.

She has identified restoring the UN's credibility as her central priority, arguing that this requires leadership across the UN's three pillars and regions. She has committed to guiding her work by respect for the law, accountability mechanisms, dialogue and the peaceful resolution of conflicts. She framed the Pact for the Future as a test of the UN's ability to deliver across the three pillars and has committed to implementing it.

Espinosa has reaffirmed that human rights are central to the UN's mandate, describing the pillars as mutually interdependent. She has committed to ensuring every agency, program and team delivers on human rights, while centering human dignity. She has stressed the preventive nature of human rights and committed to establishing a Prevention and Early Action Hub reporting to her. She has highlighted the Human Rights Council as a tool for prevention, peace and development.

She has described human rights as universal, indivisible and non-selective, arguing that economic, social and cultural rights must be honored alongside civil and political rights. She has highlighted girls' right to education, the digital gender gap, the Women, Peace and Security agenda and sexual and reproductive rights. 

Espinosa has stressed that the human rights pillar is underfunded. She has supported restructuring to avoid mandate duplication and maximize impact, ensuring that the UN80 Human Rights Group delivers on human rights, and has warned that reliance on voluntary, earmarked funding leaves the UN vulnerable to volatility and fragmentation.

Espinosa has identified diversity, geographical representation and equity as staffing principles, without elaborating on gender representation or committing to gender parity. She has committed to including young people in her team and called for Indigenous peoples’ participation in decision-making.

She has underscored the need to appoint a woman Secretary-General, framing this as a commitment to equality and results. 

CIVICUS and Transparency, Accountability and Participation (TAP) Network

‍Summary

Espinosa acknowledges civil society as important partners but frames member states as the ultimate arbiters of civil society participation at the UN. She commits to youth inclusion in senior offices.

Profile

‍Espinosa has served as Executive Director of GWL Voices, focused on women's leadership in global governance. Her statements on gender as a candidate have nonetheless been limited. Her vision statement omits the word "gender" and makes no reference to the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda. In response to questions, she has identified girls' education and the digital gender gap as priorities and affirmed WPS as "absolutely central" to peace and security. She has not addressed anti-gender pushback or the global rollback of gender equality.

‍On youth, Espinosa has committed to running an intergenerational office by recruiting young people onto her senior team, citing her current campaign staff, mostly under 30, as an example. She references the Declaration on Future Generations and the UN Youth Office as primary anchors and commits to jobs for young people and career development plans supporting younger generations' professional growth. She has not substantively addressed the role of youth in peace and security processes.

‍A longtime civil society leader herself, Espinosa has recognized civil society as an important actor in advancing UN commitments and has argued that participation should go beyond a box-ticking exercise. She has linked the UN's implementation gap in part to the absence of civil society ownership and co-responsibility. She has cited civil society's role in developing the Pact for the Future as an example of meaningful engagement and includes civil society as a stakeholder in her proposed Technology Dialogue. However, she has not proposed concrete measures to strengthen civil society participation and reiterates that terms of participation in intergovernmental processes are ultimately "in the hands of member states." Beyond participation, she has not addressed the growing restrictions on civic space. She has committed to 1 for 8 Billion’s Principles for Integrity in UN Secretary-General Campaigns, which include engaging with civil society as a candidate.

Plataforma CIPÓ and SHE Changes Climate

Summary

Espinosa frames energy as a defining global challenge linked to climate insecurity. She calls for the UN to serve as a cooperation platform on energy transition. She commits to establishing a Global Energy Security coordination mechanism.

Profile

Espinosa frames energy security as central to global stability. She has cited energy transition as a crucial force reshaping societies and positioned energy and technology transition as key development enablers. She has called for the UN to work with member states to build “frameworks that reduce risk, adapt to shocks and expand shared benefit.” 

If selected, Espinosa has committed to establishing a Global Energy Security mechanism to coordinate member states and other stakeholders in managing global shocks, including their impact on energy access. Addressing “highly indebted and climate-vulnerable countries”, she has committed to “encourage a more coherent international response”. 

Espinosa has acknowledged the implementation gap, arguing that climate change requires complex and unified responses. She has said that the volume of reporting-back mechanisms often diverts resources from policy design and that the Secretary-General should organize and simplify the UN system to support states’ climate action.

Responding to questions on climate finance, Espinosa has described the current architecture as “insufficient,” stressing the need to rethink due diligence and fund accessibility, “rebalance investment in adaptation” and make the loss and damage fund “fully operational and accessible for countries with special vulnerabilities.” She has also highlighted the impact of climate shocks on infrastructure — especially for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) — citing multidimensional vulnerability as a key tool to accelerate access to climate funds. 

On ocean governance, Espinosa has emphasized that oceans sit at the intersection of “the triple environmental crisis” – climate, pollution and extinction – and demand a proper international response.

Espinosa has held several environmental roles, including Minister of Natural Heritage in Ecuador, member of the Global Commission on the Economics of Water and Biodiversity Policy Advisor at the International Union for Conservation of Nature, alongside significant experience working with Indigenous communities in the Ecuadorian Amazon.

Article 109

Summary

Espinosa calls for a leaner UN, supporting national actors. She is guided by UN80 and Pact for the Future, but has said little on structural reform. She has a preference for prudent and silent diplomacy.

Profile

Espinosa calls for courage to transform the UN, noting that its “survival is not a given.”

For Espinosa, a results-focused UN will overcome lost trust and ensure “political and financial support.” She proposes the establishment of a Prevention and Early Action Hub in the office of the Secretary-General and argues for a new development approach – demand driven and nationally led. Her localization-first approach seeks to recognize that the UN should only operate where necessary.  

A leaner UN is a key theme for Espinosa. She commits to UN80 and “shrinking the UN responsibly” with a focus on stronger accountability and realigning the UN’s financial base with its mandates. 

Unlike many of the other candidates, Espinosa avoids commenting on structural reform of the Security Council or General Assembly revitalization – but does say that the Pact for the Future, which touches on both, will be her “reference.” Espinosa pushes for dialogue on international financial institution reform, signaling the UN’s convening power and capacity to support it.

Tackling climate change and ensuring a just energy transition are priorities for Espinosa. To strengthen the UN’s role in these fields, Espinosa proposes a Global Energy Security coordination mechanism. In the past, she has called for the environment to be the UN’s fourth pillar.

In her previous roles as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of National Defense in Ecuador, she led reforms of the Ecuadorian military and participated in negotiations with warring parties in the region. As former President of the General Assembly and Permanent Representative of Ecuador in New York and Geneva she brings experience of multilateral fora. 

While Espinosa has stressed that she will be “partial to upholding the Charter and upholding international law,” she has also said she believes the Secretary-General should favor “prudent and silent diplomacy.”