Chile nominates Michelle Bachelet, launching her bid to lead U.N.

Sept. 26, 2025 / 12:42 PM

By Francisca Orell


Sept. 26 (UPI) -- Chilean President Gabriel Boric has officially nominated former President Michelle Bachelet as a candidate for U.N. secretary-general, launching her bid to lead the organization in 2027.

"Michelle Bachelet is not only a widely known and respected figure on the global stage. She is a woman whose life story is deeply consistent with the values that inspire this organization. She has served twice as Chile's president and was, of course, the first woman to do so," Boric said In his address Tuesday to the General Assembly,

He added that in her roles as executive director of U.N. Women and U.N. high commissioner for human rights, Bachelet "has governed, negotiated, healed and listened." Her career allows her, in "times of fragmentation and mistrust," to be a figure capable of building bridges.

The term of U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres of Portugal ends in December 2026. Only Bolivian Vice President David Choquehuanca has also been nominated, and Argentina's Rafael Grossi, director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, has said he wants the position.

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