Former President Michelle Bachelet delivered a 30-minute speech at Congreso Futuro 2026 in Santiago, highlighting United Nations achievements and advocating for Security Council reform amid her candidacy for Secretary-General. President Gabriel Boric announced he will formalize her bid. Bachelet stressed the need for multilateralism in a transitioning world.
At the 'Multilateralism: Challenges and Opportunities in a Transitioning World' panel of Congreso Futuro 2026, held at Santiago's Centro Cultural Ceina, Michelle Bachelet avoided the press by entering through the Instituto Nacional General José Miguel Carrera. Her address focused on the future of the United Nations, the organization she seeks to lead as secretary-general.
Bachelet highlighted key UN milestones, such as 'the eradication of smallpox, the recovery of the ozone layer, and perhaps the most significant, the prevention of a third world war'. Amid the current global landscape, she emphasized that 'the role of multilateral mechanisms for dialogue, mediation, and conflict prevention gains special relevance', and that the secretary-general and Security Council can contribute to 'peaceful, sustainable solutions that respect the right to displacement'.
One of her main proposals was reforming the Security Council, despite its unpopularity: 'I want to say something here that doesn't make me very popular among the countries that run the Security Council, but I am sure that the reform of the Security Council is an imperative necessity and an unavoidable responsibility of the member states'. She added that 'the current structure of the council reflects a geopolitical reality of the past, and does not respond to the diversity or balances of the contemporary world, which weakens its credibility and capacity for action'.
Regarding the ideal profile for the next secretary-general, Bachelet remarked: 'There's another very interesting discussion, whether the next secretary-general should be an administrator or a general. [...] I think they should be both, administrator and general, both things. Or generala', which drew applause from the audience.
This speech comes a day after President Gabriel Boric, in an interview on Tolerancia Cero, announced: 'We are going to formalize that candidacy. We are looking at the deadlines with the president, in conversations also with other world leaders, but the objective is to formalize that candidacy ourselves'.
