Chile's Bachelet withdraws from race to lead UN
The former Chilean president ended her campaign after receiving just one encourage vote in the Security Council straw poll.
- On September 20, former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet withdrew her candidacy for United Nations secretary-general after the Security Council's third straw poll showed her receiving one "encourage" vote against 11 "discourage" votes.
- UN Watch launched a formal campaign in May 2026 scrutinizing Bachelet's record as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, detailing her failure to issue stand-alone statements on mass detention of Uyghurs and imprisonment of dissidents.
- Chile's government withdrew its support for Bachelet on March 24, 2026, after the administration of Gabriel Boric reversed its initial backing, a shift that significantly eroded her campaign momentum.
- Bachelet's withdrawal leaves seven contenders in the race to succeed United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, including Costa Rica's Rebeca Grynspan and Guyana's Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett as leading candidates.
- No woman has led the 80-year-old United Nations in its history, and the Security Council must recommend a successor for General Assembly confirmation before the leadership transition concludes on December 31.
259 Articles
259 Articles
Strategic Blindness at UNGA 81: “Super Intelligence” and “Killer Robots” Take Center Stage as Women’s Rights Take a Back Seat
“Artificial intelligence (AI) must be shaped by humanity, with humanity, and for all humanity… Life-and-death decisions must never be surrendered to machines. Killer robots must have no place in our future.” With those words, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres opened the high-level debate of the 81st session of the General Assembly (UNGA 81). He also […]
U.N. secretary-general race puts candidates’ Israel records in focus
The race to succeed U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres is still wide open, with seven candidates vying to lead an organization whose approach toward Israel has become a central concern for the United States and pro-Israel advocates. But even as the candidates stake out different records on Israel, diplomats and experts caution that the next secretary-general...
AI was the focus of Day 5 of the UN General Assembly. Developing countries rejected being mere technology markets and demanded fair control and regulation.
The head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Sergei Lavrov, conducted a series of 14 bilateral talks on the margins of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, and the Russian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Sergei Lavrov, held 14 bilateral meetings on the third day of the high-level week of the 81st session of the General Assembly, reporting to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. Among the interloc…
Seven candidates are still competing to take over from the former Portuguese Prime Minister. An opaque competition, in which Trump intends to simmer.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 42% of the sources lean Right
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
