Published on Thursday, April 23, 2026
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

Costa Rican economist Rebeca Grynspan-Mayufis formally presented her candidacy for United Nations secretary-general during a hearing at U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S.

Grynspan, 70, has held several senior government posts in Costa Rica, including vice president from 1994 to 1998 under former President José María Figueres Olsen.

Now seeking to become the next head of the United Nations, Grynspan said she would prioritize revitalizing the organization through reforms while reinforcing its core principles of peacemaking and development.

She identified peacemaking as her top priority and warned that trust in the U.N. is eroding, adding that time is running out to restore confidence in the global body.

Grynspan said significant reforms are essential to ensure the organization can continue fulfilling its mission of maintaining international peace and security, fostering friendly relations among nations, promoting international cooperation, and serving as a center for coordinating global efforts.

“To defend the United Nations today is to have the courage to change it,” she said.

 

Costa Rica officially nominated Grynspan for U.N. Secretary-General in October 2025.


She currently leads the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. Previously, she served as secretary-general of the Ibero-American General Secretariat from 2014 to 2021 and as associate administrator of the United Nations Development Programme from 2010 to 2014.

Grynspan is among several candidates seeking to succeed António Guterres when his term ends, with the next term set to begin Jan. 1, 2027.

Other prominent contenders include Michelle Bachelet, a former Chilean president and former U.N. high commissioner for human rights; Rafael Grossi of Argentina, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency; and Macky Sall, former president of Senegal.

The United Nations has long been recognized as a leader in peacekeeping and human development, with multiple officials and agencies receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. However, it has also faced criticism over perceived ineffectiveness.

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