AFP, Georgetown

Guyana has nominated its ambassador to the United Nations to run for secretary-general of the global body, the president of the South American nation announced late Friday.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of Portugal will step down at the end of the year from the post he has held since 2017, after two terms.

Carolyn Rodrigues-Burkett has been Guyana’s representative to the UN since 2020. The Atlantic coastal nation tucked between Venezuela and Brazil has a population of fewer than one million people.

“Ambassador Rodrigues-Burkett’s vision for the United Nations centers on strengthening multilateralism, enhancing effectiveness and responsiveness of the organization, promoting inclusive global governance and ensuring the United Nations remains capable of addressing contemporary challenges,” Guyana President Irfaan Ali said in a broadcast.