The race for the next UN secretary-general has intensified, with no clear frontrunner yet. However, a candidate gaining momentum has raised concerns in Washington. The most recent straw poll of UN Security Council members shows Rebeca Grynspan, former Costa Rican vice-president leading the UN Conference on Trade and Development since 2021, with a minimal lead. Trailing closely is Guyana’s ambassador to the UN, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, who led in the previous poll.
To secure the position, candidates need support from nine of the fifteen council members while avoiding vetoes from any of its five permanent members: the U.S., China, the UK, France, and Russia. The U.S. has doubts about Rodrigues-Birkett’s suitability, especially since many world leaders recently expressed at the UN General Assembly a desire to see a female leader.
Though Guyana is traditionally a U.S. ally, Rodrigues-Birkett’s viewpoints align more with those of the Chinese Communist Party, the Cuban regime, and Hamas than with the U.S. and its allies. China, a significant global adversary to Washington, is likely to endorse her. Her stance on Artificial Intelligence shows favoritism toward China, encouraging participation in the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, which includes numerous authoritarian U.S. adversaries like Russia, Cuba, and Nicaragua. This raises concerns as the U.S. aims to maintain AI sector dominance amid social challenges.
Rodrigues-Birkett’s campaign visit to Beijing in July underscored her affinity for China. While other potential candidates also visited China, she uniquely supported the 1971 UN General Assembly resolution recognizing the People’s Republic of China as the sole legitimate representatives of China in the UN. China uses this resolution to exclude democratic Taiwan from participating in the UN, a stance Washington opposes.
Additionally, her endorsement of China’s major global initiatives on development, security, civilization, and global governance supports Beijing’s mission to reshape international cooperation in its favor. Her support extends to a communist regime within the Western Hemisphere. In a 2013 speech, she praised Fidel Castro as a “visionary, determined revolutionary.” As Guyana’s foreign minister then, she also sponsored a motion condemning the U.S. blockade of Cuba.
Rodrigues-Birkett’s perspectives on the Gaza conflict further intensify U.S. concerns. Following the Hamas attack in October 2023 in southern Israel, while she acknowledged the hostage situation, she blamed Israel for the escalating conflict, accusing it of genocide. She supports the UN Relief and Works Agency’s ongoing postwar operations in Gaza, despite the U.S. calling for the agency’s elimination due to links with terrorism among its employees.
The U.S. seeks a leader who will endorse President Trump’s plan for Gaza’s stabilization, focusing on Hamas disarmament and avoiding supporting propaganda or defending agencies aiding terrorists. With veto power as a permanent member of the Security Council, the U.S. should consider blocking Rodrigues-Birkett’s candidacy. Protests may arise in Guyana, but ensuring leadership alignment with U.S. interests is crucial.
Leave a Reply