Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica Vows Change as She Enters UN Chief Race

Rebeca Grynspan is upbeat about her chances of becoming the next head of the United Nations—and she has a clear vision for what she would do if elected.

The Costa Rican former vice president, who stepped aside Friday as head of the UN trade and development agency UNCTAD to focus on her campaign, told reporters in Geneva that she wants to rebuild global trust in the organization and make it more agile in tackling the world’s crises.

“We are very optimistic. I think that I am more than a viable candidate,” Grynspan said. “My profile is right for this moment. I know the UN enough to reform it and enough to defend it.”

The Race

The second term of current UN chief Antonio Guterres expires at the end of the year. By tradition, the secretary-general position rotates geographically, and it is Latin America’s turn. Grynspan faces two other candidates from the region: former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet and Rafael Grossi, the Argentinian head of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Founded in 1945, the United Nations has never had a woman secretary-general. Grynspan, 70, is not seeking to be chosen on that basis alone.

“I don’t need any favors to be elected for the secretary-general; I just need people not to discriminate me for being a woman,” she said. “If the competition will be fair, with no biases, I will make it. I have the CV; I have the merits.”

A Call for Reform

Grynspan’s campaign comes at a critical moment for the UN. Last month, Guterres warned that the organization faced financial collapse and could run out of cash by July, with member states neither paying in full nor on time.

“The UN has to change,” Grynspan said. She noted that civil society and the private sector now have far greater capacities than in 1945, “and we need to be able to harness that: we don’t have to do everything in the UN.”

On peace and security, she argued that “prevention and mediation are essential. But they need agility and flexibility from the structures of the UN. And I don’t think we have that right now.”

Rebuilding Trust

The UN faces skepticism from some quarters, including from US President Donald Trump, who has slashed funding to some agencies and established his own “Board of Peace.” Grynspan defended the organization’s unique role.

“The UN is unique because it’s the only legitimate, universal organization,” she said. “We need to rebuild trust with the member states. We need to regain the belief that the UN is useful to solve problems.”

She vowed to bring her personal qualities to that task. “I am able to reach to people not only with logic, but also with inspiration, optimism and hope. We need more of that too, because we need to connect again much more with people. We will need to conquer the hearts and minds again.”

Leadership Style

Grynspan described her approach to leadership as “direct, honest, and evidence-based… There have to be reasons, not only emotions.”

She drew on her personal history—her Polish parents “barely survived” World War II, her maternal grandparents killed in the Holocaust. They went “with nothing” to Costa Rica, a country that “allowed them to have a good life.”

“Costa Rica has taught me a lot. It’s a country that I not only love dearly, but I admire,” she said.

And she offered a self-assessment: “I am not an impetuous person. I think things through. I have the serenity not to lose it under tension and under pressure. I consult. I hear. And I am brave. I take risks.”

What Comes Next

The campaign for UN secretary-general will unfold over the coming months. Grynspan has stepped aside from her UNCTAD role to focus on it. She faces strong competitors. But she brings decades of experience—in national politics, in UN leadership, in navigating complex situations under pressure.

Whether that experience translates into the top job remains to be seen. But Grynspan is clear about what she would bring: reform, trust, and a willingness to take risks. For an organization facing financial crisis and relevance questions, those qualities may be exactly what’s needed.

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