Ivonne Baki, an Ecuadorian diplomat running for United Nations secretary-general, called for reform of the Security Council’s current structure during an informal General Assembly discussion on Thursday. She said the council had failed to adapt to major global population changes since the Second World War, contributing to frequent deadlock. Tonga formally submitted Baki’s nomination to the General Assembly on Tuesday.

Baki said some continents retain permanent seats despite their declining share of the global population, while rapidly growing Africa has no permanent seat. In her view, this imbalance has created stagnation in the council’s work. The 75-year-old former Ecuadorian minister has served as ambassador to France, Qatar and the United States, and has previously acknowledged her friendship with US President Donald Trump.

Baki pledged that, if elected, she would work directly in areas affected by war and conflict rather than only carrying out administrative work from New York. She also stressed the need for greater participation by women in efforts to resolve conflicts, including the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. Eight candidates are now in the race, and the selected secretary-general will take office on January 1, 2027.