UN secretary general candidate Ivonne Baki calls for Security Council overhaul

Ecuadorian diplomat Ivonne Baki, seeking the position of UN Secretary-General, has called for a significant overhaul of the Security Council's structure. She asserts that the current arrangement, featuring five permanent seats for the world's largest powers, does not reflect the dramatic increase in global population since 1945, which has swelled by 40 times.

Baki pointed out that despite this exponential growth, the five permanent members remain unchanged - China, Russia, the UK, France, and the United States. In contrast, Africa, the continent experiencing the most rapid population growth, holds no permanent seats on the council, resulting in a governance body that frequently reaches deadlocks and gridlock.

The five permanent members are China, Russia, the UK, France and the US. The Ecuadorian diplomat, who has served as a government minister, an ambassador to France, Qatar, and the US, has been nominated by Tonga. She is the second candidate from Ecuador, following former foreign affairs and defence minister Maria Fernanda Espinosa.

Baki, who has ties to Lebanon due to her upbringing during its civil war, emphasizes her dedication to peace, citing her role in facilitating Ecuador's 1998 peace treaty with Peru. She pledges to personally engage in mediation efforts to resolve the numerous conflicts worldwide. Baki criticizes the absence of women in conflict resolution processes, arguing that their unique perspectives could foster compromises and prevent world wars.

She laments the suffering of civilians, especially women and children, who bear the brunt of conflicts.