Double standards undermine states’ trust in UN — candidate for secretary-general

UNITED NATIONS, May 14. /TASS/. Double standards in the UN’s work undermine member states’ trust in the organization and its leadership, Maria Fernanda Espinosa, President of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly and a candidate for the post of UN secretary-general, told a TASS correspondent. "It's not about saying that you're impartial. It is about acting as an impartial, honest broker and with a predictable behavior that you would respond and act in defense of the UN Charter and international law exactly the same in every circumstance. So really, [you have] to be very careful about double standards and making sure that you earn legitimacy and authority among the member states," Espinosa said. According to her, the legitimacy and authority of the UN secretary-general cannot be established formally. "Legitimacy and authority are not something that you write a decree on. It's something you earn, and you earn showing that member states can trust you and that you are impartial. And impartiality doesn't mean indifference. It means being active, being engaged, and yet impartial," the politician noted. Espinosa is one of five candidates vying for the position of UN chief. The others are former President of Chile and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Rebeca Grynspan (Costa Rica), Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi (Argentina), and former President of Senegal Macky Sall. The election of the new UN secretary-general is scheduled for July 2026. The term of the current head of the global organization, Antanio Guterres, who has held the position since 2017, expires on December 31.