Madam Secretary-General Mentions at UNGA80
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At GWL Voices, we are closely tracking how Member States address the historic absence of a woman Secretary-General during the 80th session of the UN General Assembly. During the General General, the call for a Madam Secretary-General was loud and clear.
Key Mentions from the General Debate
Annalena Baerbock, UN PGA
The selection of the next Secretary-General must make us pause and reflect. In nearly 80 years this organization has never chosen a woman for that role. One might wonder how out of four billion potential candidates, there could not be found a single one.
Nataša Pirc Musar, President of Slovenia
Over the past 80 years, 13% of leaders in multilateral organizations have been women, and no woman has ever served as Secretary General of the United Nations… By the end of this session, she (the UNPGA) would be joined by a Madam Secretary-General elected, a living proof to 4 billion women that even the most impossible job is not beyond their reach.
Gabriel Boric Font, President of Chile
Eighty years of history without a woman serving as Secretary-General of the United Nations. The UN must reflect the world’s progress. The UN must reflect the world’s progress and recognize that a woman at the helm is not only a symbol of equity, but it represents and makes reality that women, being half of the population, more than half of the population can occupy all the spaces in the world and that no space is off-limits to them.
Juan Ramón de la Fuente Ramírez, Foreign Affairs Minister of Mexico
We trust that the next Secretary-General, whom we hope will be a woman from our region, willl accelerate the transformation process we have set in motion to ensure peace and justice, people’s well-being and freedom, the planet’s sustainability, and shared prosperity.
Christina Markus Lassen, Permanent Representative of Denmark to the UN
That is also why Denmark – as we look to the upcoming process of selecting a new Secretary General for the United Nations – is encouraging member states to put forward qualified female candidates. After 80 years, it is high time for a woman to be at the helm of this organisation.
GWL Voices and the Madam Secretary-General Campaign
Since its launch, GWL Voices has been at the forefront of calling for a woman to lead the United Nations for the first time in its history. Our Madam Secretary-General campaign highlights the urgency of this moment: after eight decades and nine male Secretaries-General, the UN must finally reflect the principles of equality and representation it was founded upon.
The voices heard on Day 1 of UNGA80 echo the demands of civil society, women leaders, and millions around the world who believe that global leadership must change. At GWL Voices, we will continue to amplify these calls, track which governments stand up for this historic shift, and build momentum toward 2026.
What’s next
We will sharing content related to GWL Voices' Madam Secretary-General campaign as we continue moving forward a a new selection process at the UN.
The future of the United Nations depends on its ability to represent the world it serves. That future must include a Madam Secretary-General.