Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley says her responsibilities to Barbados and the wider Caribbean were among the main reasons she decided not to seek the post of United Nations Secretary-General.
Mottley addressed the speculation surrounding a possible candidacy during a conversation with former U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York last week. Asked why she had not entered the race to succeed António Guterres, she pointed to the responsibilities she continues to carry at home and across the region.
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“I have a country to run and a region to take care of, and I mean that with all sincerity,” Mottley said.
She also acknowledged the demands of the UN position and joked about whether the international community would be prepared for her outspoken approach. Mottley said she was unsure whether the world was ready for someone whose “tongue” might be as forceful as hers, while stressing the importance of working through consensus.
Mottley said the challenges facing Barbados and the Caribbean require her attention, describing the task of securing the region’s stability and future as particularly complex. Her decision means she will remain focused on her responsibilities as Barbados’ prime minister rather than entering the contest for the UN’s top diplomatic post.
Instead, Mottley has joined CARICOM in backing Guyana’s UN Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett for the position. Guyana formally nominated Rodrigues-Birkett in June, and CARICOM subsequently endorsed her candidacy. Mottley also publicly expressed Barbados’ support during the UN General Assembly’s high-level week.
Mottley has nevertheless continued to speak forcefully about the role of the United Nations. In her September 24 address to the General Assembly, she called for reforms to international institutions and argued that global leaders must do more to turn knowledge and existing capacity into action on issues including climate change, finance, food, water and development.
The selection process is under way to replace Guterres, whose second term ends on December 31, 2026. Under the UN system, the Security Council recommends a candidate for appointment by the General Assembly, with any of its five permanent members able to block a recommendation through a veto.
Mottley’s decision leaves CARICOM’s support behind Rodrigues-Birkett as the Caribbean’s candidate, while the Barbados prime minister continues to concentrate on national and regional responsibilities and on advocating for the interests of vulnerable developing countries on the international stage.
