New York City was home to the CSW69, during which a session looked specifically at the subject of selecting a woman to occupy the position of the UN Secretary-General. Titled “Madame Secretary-General: a groundbreaking appointment to transform the UN,” the event featured the participation of our Executive Director Maiara Folly, who stressed that this would be a crucial step towards helping to regain confidence in the multilateral system, as well as to reinforce the global commitment to gender equality.
Organized by the 1 for 8 Billion campaign, of which CIPÓ is a part, the event addressed the need for a transparent and inclusive process to select the next UN Secretary-General—and the importance of finally electing a woman to the position.
Folly highlighted that the United Nations and multilateralism are facing a legitimacy crisis, with criticism coming both from those who denounce power imbalances within the system and from conservative groups opposing international cooperation. In this context, she argued that selecting the next Secretary-General represents “the fastest and most cost-effective way to restore trust in the UN by addressing power imbalances within the system.”
Folly emphasized that the process must be:
✔ Transparent
✔ Open to the participation of all UN Member States, not just the P5
✔ Meaningfully inclusive of civil society
✔ Designed to ensure that a qualified feminist woman is elected, breaking 80 years of male leadership.
“Choosing a woman through a credible process will strengthen the UN’s ability to uphold gender equality, both within the organization and among Member States,” she stated. CIPÓ’s Executive Director also warned that the window of opportunity is closing: “There is no better response to recent attacks on women’s rights than electing a feminist Secretary-General.”
CIPÓ will remain engaged in the fight for a more representative multilateral system and in advocating for a selection process that meets the demands of today’s global challenges.
