Michelle Bachelet, the former president of Chile, has withdrawn her candidacy to become the next secretary general of the United Nations. Her bid had reportedly struggled to gain traction among members of the Security Council.
Ms Bachelet, 74, announced her decision in a video posted on Instagram on Saturday, stating she would "continue, with the same determination as always, my international work." The two-time Chilean president and former UN human rights chief had campaigned on defending multilateralism and international law.
Her withdrawal follows a third informal straw poll, held on Friday, which reportedly showed her support had significantly diminished. Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan was reportedly in the lead after that poll. Seven candidates now remain in the race to succeed the current secretary general, António Guterres, whose second five-year term concludes on 31 December.
The UN Security Council is tasked with formally recommending a single candidate to the 193-member General Assembly for election. The General Assembly's approval is typically considered a formality once the council reaches a consensus.