Either way Rodrigues-Birkett cannot lose

Oct 19, 2026 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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(Kaieteur News) – Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett was thrust unexpectedly and suddenly into the contest for the position of United Nations Secretary-General. A woman presently occupies an important diplomatic post – Permanent Representative of Guyana to the United Nations – was nominated belatedly for one of the most prestigious offices in the world.

She is competing with candidates who have had more time to prepare, cultivate support and marshall the resources necessary for a campaign of this magnitude.  She has so far done better than might reasonably have been expected. And therefore, there is cause to wonder whether the greatest obstacle to her candidacy was the manner in which her own government prepared her for the contest.

The late nomination raises questions about timing, preparation and the seriousness with which Guyana approached this undertaking. A campaign for Secretary-General is not something that can be assembled. It requires painstaking diplomatic work, consultations with member states, the cultivation of influential relationships and the mobilisation of political support. A candidate must be known, her credentials must be understood, and there must be sufficient time to persuade those who matter.

Rodrigues-Birkett was denied much of this advantage. She entered the contest with limited time to establish herself, and with what appears to have been a modest political and diplomatic machinery behind her. One sees photographs of her meeting international leaders, sometimes apparently alone, while other candidates may benefit from the presence and assistance of senior officials and diplomatic representatives. Such images do not tell the whole story of a campaign, but they can convey something about the resources and support available to a candidate.

It would be unfair to suggest that Guyana possesses an abundance of internationally influential figures who could simply be dispatched to advance her cause. Our political class is not crowded with people whose names open doors in the corridors of global power. Our diplomatic reach has its limitations, and our influence, must be measured against that of countries with far greater resources. One-man diplomacy has been practised within the PPP/C to the detriment of developing a corps of internationally-recognised diplomats.  These are realities which any sensible assessment must acknowledge.

But that is precisely why the government should have acted earlier and prepared more thoroughly. A small country cannot afford to squander the advantages it possesses. It must compensate for limited influence with preparation. When the available time is short and the diplomatic machinery is thin, the burden on the candidate becomes correspondingly heavier.

Against these handicaps, Rodrigues-Birkett has acquitted herself remarkably well. She is not a globally celebrated political figure whose candidacy arrives with an established international following. She is perhaps the least known of the candidates. She has had to introduce herself, make her case and persuade others of her suitability within a compressed period.

That she has remained competitive under such circumstances is a credit to her, whatever the eventual outcome. Her performance in the informal straw polls has attracted attention and, if nothing else, demonstrated that she cannot simply be dismissed as an inconsequential candidate.

Yet her campaign has acquired a possible significance beyond the United Nations. In Guyana, political appointments are rarely viewed in isolation from the calculations of those who exercise power. Every prominent public figure is liable to be assessed not merely for the office occupied today, but for the office that might become available tomorrow.

It is reasonable, therefore, to ask whether her nomination might also have been intended to raise her national and international profile in anticipation of Guyana’s next presidential succession. There are those who believe that influential elements within the oligarchic class could regard Rodrigues-Birkett as a possible future presidential candidate.

A successful international campaign can confer a form of legitimacy that domestic political manoeuvring cannot easily manufacture. It presents a candidate as someone who has been tested beyond the familiar boundaries of local party politics. It can create an impression of international acceptability. For the PPP/C contemplating its next presidential candidate, those attributes could prove valuable.

But there is an irony. If Rodrigues-Birkett’s showing in the straw polls has exceeded expectations, those who might have hoped to benefit from her increased visibility could find themselves facing an awkward calculation. Should she secure the United Nations appointment, the PPP/C would lose the opportunity to deploy her in domestic politics for the 2030 elections. Should she fail to secure it, she could return with a considerably enhanced profile and a stronger claim to national leadership.

A credible showing at the United Nations could become an asset in a presidential contest. It would not guarantee victory. But it could establish her as a serious alternative, particularly if, as is believed, there is an influential figure within the People’s Progressive Party/Civic who favour her candidature as the party’s next presidential candidate.

Whatever the final result, Rodrigues-Birkett may yet emerge from the UN Secretary General contest with something of considerable value: a strengthened reputation. And that could be the ticket to the presidency of Guyana.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

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• Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett, Peeping Tom, Secretary-General, United Nations

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