On 3 August 2026 a Regional Dialogue was held on the Future Leadership of the United Nations, convened by the Government of Uruguay, in its capacity as Pro Tempore President of CELAC, together with 1 for 8 Billion steering committee member GQUAL Campaign and Cepei Think Tank.
The following article is a first hand reflection on the event by Maria Noel Leoni, Campaign Director at GQUAL Campaign. It was originally posted here.
What can Latin America and the Caribbean contribute to the future leadership of the United Nations?
That was the central question behind the Regional Dialogue on the Future Leadership of the United Nations, held in Montevideo on August 3, 2026 and convened by the Government of Uruguay, in its capacity as Pro Tempore President of CELAC, together with the GQUAL Campaign and Cepei Think Tank.
It was a truly historic moment.
For the first time, Latin America and the Caribbean hosted a regional public dialogue with candidates for the position of UN Secretary-General, at precisely the moment when the selection process is entering its decisive phase. The region has presented five highly qualified candidates—four of them women—in a process where equitable geographic rotation points to the region to aspire to the Organization’s top leadership in the second time in history. It is also a selection process in which the call to finally elect a woman Secretary-General is a necessary and prominent part of the global conversation.
Masterfully moderated by Carmen Aristegui, the Dialogue featured the in-person participation of María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés and Rebeca Grynspan, and the virtual participation of Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, as well as contributions from Michelle Bachelet and Rafael Grossi, who, due to unforeseen health and scheduling constraints, were unable to participate in the planned format but ensured their voices were part of the Dialogue.
Some of the key takeaways:
▶️ It is Latin America and the Caribbean’s moment. This was a strong message throughout the Dialogue. It was articulated by Uruguay as Pro Tempore President of CELAC, echoed by the candidates, and reinforced by the participation of 14 Ministries of Foreign Affairs from across the region, whose ministers contributed questions and reflections throughout the event. That level of political engagement is unprecedented in the events that have marked the process so far and sends a clear message to the discussions now continuing in the UN Security Council and General Assembly in New York: there is broad regional recognition that the time has come for Latin America and the Caribbean to lead the United Nations.
▶️ The region is not asking for its turn - it demonstrated why its experience is precisely what the UN needs at this moment. The interventions from candidates and authorities in the Dialogue moved beyond the argument of equitable geographical rotation. The interventions highlighted how the region brings distinctive assets to a United Nations facing one of the greatest challenges in its history: rebuilding trust, legitimacy and confidence in multilateralism: a long tradition of building consensus through international law, diplomacy and cooperation; a region that has remained free of interstate armed conflict and nuclear weapons for decades; a decisive contribution to the development of international human rights law, democracy, equality and transitional justice; and a conviction, forged through experience, that law can be a powerful tool for building peace, legitimacy and international cooperation.
▶️ Latin America and the Caribbean also brings unique experience to some of the defining challenges of our time. The interventions reinforced how the region has first-hand experience with many of the issues that are reshaping the international agenda: transnational organized crime, democratic erosion, persistent inequality, climate vulnerability, and the challenge of advancing sustainable development without reproducing the inequalities of the past. These are not only regional challenges, they are increasingly global ones and particularly for the Global South. The Dialogue reinforced the idea that Latin America and the Caribbean offers not only valuable lessons from confronting these issues, but also perspectives and policy experience that can help shape more effective multilateral responses.
▶️ Another important reflection from several interventions - one that resonates deeply with GQUAL - was that this needs to be the moment for the first woman Secretary-General from Latin America and the Caribbean. Several interventions highlighted that, after eight decades without a woman leading the United Nations, and with four outstanding women from the region among the candidates, this selection process presents a historic opportunity to finally break that highest glass ceiling. At a time when the United Nations is seeking to rebuild trust, strengthen its legitimacy and demonstrate its capacity to adapt to a changing world, choosing the first woman Secretary-General would represent more than a milestone in representation. It would be a powerful signal that meaningful reform also requires new leadership, new perspectives and the willingness to break with historical patterns. At GQUAL, we have long argued that the world does not suffer from a lack of qualified women to lead international institutions. It is time for political decision-making to catch up with that reality.
It was an honour for GQUAL to help create this space together with the Government of Uruguay.
We believe that the selection of the next UN Secretary-General should be more open, transparent and inclusive. But we also believe that the conversation is richer when it reflects the perspectives, priorities and lived experiences of different regions. Yesterday, Latin America and the Caribbean did not simply reminded everyone that it is its time to lead. It demonstrated why its experience is precisely what the United Nations needs at this moment.
📺 If you missed the event, you can watch the full Dialogue here:
▶️ UN Web TV: https://lnkd.in/gByB5Vjb
▶️ Canal de YouTube de la Presidencia de Uruguay: https://lnkd.in/guG84uHe
▶️ Aristegui Noticias: https://lnkd.in/gQJpjguU
Image: Photo supplied courtesy of the GQUAL Campaign