By Caribbean News Global 
USA / GUYANA – Former secretary-general of the Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Almagro, has expressed strong support for Guyana’s candidate for United Nations secretary-general, ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, describing the veteran diplomat as an “extraordinary person for the position” and saying she has the leadership and capacity required to head the global organisation.
In an interview aired on August 11, 2026 by La Diaria, a prominent Uruguayan media house, Almagro offered a personal assessment of Rodrigues-Birkett’s qualifications, drawing on his longstanding professional knowledge of the Guyanese diplomat.
“She would be an excellent secretary-general,” Almagro said. “Well, that’s because I know her personally. I know her leadership, I know her capacity to work, and honestly, she also did very, very well during her first poll of the first debate. So, she is a truly qualified person for that.”
Almagro’s endorsement comes as Rodrigues-Birkett has emerged as one of the leading contenders in the race to succeed António Guterres as secretary-general of the United Nations.
Guyana formally nominated Rodrigues-Birkett for the position on June 15, 2026. Three days later, she participated in the UN General Assembly’s interactive dialogue with candidates for the post, presenting her vision and priorities for the organisation before member states.
The Guardian reported on August 19, 2026, that, in the first straw poll conducted by the UN Security Council on July 30, 2026, Rodrigues-Birkett placed second among the seven candidates vying for the position, receiving nine “encourage” votes, two “discourage” votes and four “no opinion” votes. Costa Rican diplomat Rebeca Grynspan led the poll.
The informal and non-binding straw polls allow the 15 members of the Security Council to indicate whether they “encourage,” “discourage” or have “no opinion” on each candidate. The results provide an important indication of the level of support candidates enjoy within the Council as the selection process advances.
The contest, however, remains open, with further Security Council consultations and straw polls expected as the selection process continues.
Against that backdrop, Almagro’s public support adds the voice of a former leader of one of the hemisphere’s principal multilateral organisations to Rodrigues-Birkett’s candidacy.
Almagro served as OAS Secretary General from 2015 to 2025, after previously serving as Uruguay’s minister of foreign affairs. His endorsement carries particular weight given his decade leading the hemisphere’s principal multilateral organisation and his longstanding professional relationship with Rodrigues-Birkett, whom he came to know through years of hemispheric diplomacy, including the period when they served concurrently as foreign ministers of Uruguay and Guyana.
Rodrigues-Birkett’s candidacy also carries historic significance for the Caribbean and for women in international diplomacy.
No woman has served as secretary-general since the United Nations was established in 1945, and no national of a Caribbean country has held the position. If Rodrigues-Birkett ultimately secures the post, she would make history as both the first woman and the first Caribbean national to serve as secretary-general of the United Nations.
