**Michelle Bachelet Exits UN Chief Race After Low Poll Support**
Former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet has officially withdrawn her candidacy for the position of United Nations Secretary-General, a role she aimed to secure as the first woman to lead the organization in its 80-year history. The announcement was made via a video posted on her Instagram account on Saturday, September 20, 2026.
In her statement, Bachelet, 74, expressed no regrets about her decision to enter the race, stating, “I have decided not to continue with my candidacy for the position of Secretary-General of the United Nations.” She acknowledged that while she embraced the challenge, she felt the timing was not right for her candidacy.
Bachelet's withdrawal follows the release of the third informal straw poll conducted by the UN Security Council, which took place on September 19. In this poll, Bachelet received only one "encourage" vote, alongside 11 "discourage" votes and three "no opinion" votes. This marked a significant decline in support compared to previous polls, where she had garnered six encouraging votes in July and two in August.
The latest poll results positioned Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan, who currently heads the UN’s Trade and Development body, in the lead with nine encouraging votes. She was closely followed by Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett from Guyana, who received eight encouraging votes. Other candidates still in contention for the role include Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, former Senegalese President Macky Sall, and Ecuadorian diplomat Maria Fernanda Espinosa.
Bachelet's nomination was supported by Chile, Brazil, and Mexico, and she was considered a strong candidate, especially given that only one Latin American, Javier Perez de Cuellar from Peru, has previously held the position of UN Secretary-General. This cycle was seen as an opportunity for Latin America, which had been informally positioned for a turn in the leadership.
The process of selecting a new Secretary-General involves the Security Council recommending a candidate who must receive at least nine out of 15 votes in favor, while also avoiding a veto from any of the five permanent members: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The final decision will be made by the General Assembly.
The current Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, is set to complete his term on December 31, 2026. He has previously warned member states about the UN's precarious financial situation, highlighting that the organization faces “imminent financial collapse” with $1.57 billion in unpaid dues expected by the end of 2025. Guterres has emphasized that only a small fraction of member countries are fully paid up.
As world leaders prepare to gather in New York for the annual high-level session of the General Assembly, which opens on Tuesday under the theme “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation,” the ongoing geopolitical divides among major powers continue to create challenges for the UN. Guterres has pointed out that these divides have led to a deadlock on critical issues, including the situations in Gaza and Ukraine, and the unresolved race for his successor adds to the complexity of the organization’s current challenges.
Bachelet's exit from the race marks a significant moment in the ongoing search for a new leader to guide the UN through these turbulent times.