SAN JOSE, Costa Rica — Costa Rica has nominated the U.N.’s former lead official on climate change as its candidate to be the next secretary-general of the United Nations.
Christiana Figueres is the 12th candidate vying to succeed Ban Ki-moon as U.N. chief on Jan. 1.
Costa Rica’s President Luis Guillermo Solís said Thursday the U.N. and the world need Figueres because she is a proven “bridge builder” who can listen, consult, help resolve disputes, build agreements and anticipate problems.
Figueres helped shape last year’s long-awaited Paris Agreement to fight climate change as executive secretary of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, and her performance has raised her international profile.
Figueres described herself as a leader with organizational skills and “a strong moral compass” who can inspire the world and announced her candidacy to the United Nations secretary-general position on her official Twitter account.
Excited to announce I’m running for #nextSG. https://t.co/Lh2cV9a5xt pic.twitter.com/w8bxUhCvbr
— Christiana Figueres (@CFigueres) July 7, 2016