The Ecuadorian diplomat, nominated by Tonga, becomes the eighth declared candidate seeking to succeed Antonio Guterres when his second term expires at the end of 2026.

Ecuadorian diplomat Ivonne A-Baki has entered the race to become the next United Nations secretary-general, adding to an increasingly competitive field of candidates seeking to succeed Antonio Guterres, whose second five-year term ends on December 31, 2026.

A-Baki, who was nominated by Tonga, is a veteran diplomat and former Ecuadorian foreign trade minister. She has also served as Ecuador’s ambassador to the United States and Qatar.

She played a role in facilitating dialogue between Ecuador and Peru following their 1995 border conflict, an experience she has highlighted as part of her credentials for the top UN diplomatic post.

In her campaign message, A-Baki pointed to her experience with conflict resolution and international diplomacy, arguing that her Latin American and Middle Eastern heritage, combined with her involvement in helping broker peace between two UN member states, would position her to strengthen the organisation’s efforts to prevent conflicts and promote peace.

Her entry brings the number of declared candidates to eight — five women and three men — although the nomination process remains open.

Among the other contenders are UN insider Rebeca Grynspan; former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet; International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Grossi; former Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Maria Fernanda Espinosa; and former Senegalese President Macky Sall.

The UN Security Council held its first informal straw poll last month to gauge the level of support for the candidates, with Grynspan emerging as the early frontrunner.

Despite the early indication, diplomats say there is no clear favourite in the race, particularly because the five permanent members of the Security Council — the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom — have yet to publicly endorse any candidate.

The selection process is closely watched because the eventual candidate must secure at least nine votes from the 15-member Security Council and avoid a veto from any of the five permanent members.

Once endorsed by the Security Council, the nominee will be submitted to the UN General Assembly for formal confirmation.

The next secretary-general will take office at a time when the UN faces a series of major global challenges, including armed conflicts, geopolitical tensions, humanitarian crises and growing calls for reforms to the international organisation.

A-Baki's entry therefore adds another experienced diplomat to a race that is already shaping up to be one of the most closely watched UN leadership contests in years.