Ivonne A-Baki, candidate for the position of UN Secretary-General following her interactive dialogue - Media Stakeout Media Stakeouts Date: 20 August 2026 Language: Floor (Original) Transcript: https://transcripts.un.org/zh/asset/k19/k192jbsl0x?lang=floor Transcripts available through this tool are created by using automatic speech recognition and are not official records nor official documents of the United Nations. Official records and official documents are available on the Official Document System of the United Nations. --- Tonga · permanent representative · William Viliami Wainga Tone [14:36]: Good afternoon everybody My name is William Viliami Wainga Tone I am the permanent representative of the Kingdom of Tonga to the United Nations I'm very honored today to introduce my good friend Ambassador Yvonne A Baki to be here today Earlier this week the government of the Kingdom of Tonga had the good pleasure profound privilege of formally nominating Ambassador Baki to be the tutor position of the UN Secretary General We also did this because we believe she possesses the experience diplomatic skill and integrity to lead a renewal of the United Nations to enable it to advance the purposes and principles in enshrines in the charter which are peace and and security development and the human rights Ambassador Baki the podium is yours candidate for Secretary-General · Yvonne A. Baki [15:42]: Thank you Thank you Thank you, Ambassador. Thank you, Ambassador. Thank you, everyone. First of all, I want to thank you, Ambassador Tonga. And I want to thank the Kingdom of Tonga, the King of Tonga the prime minister of Tonga. And I am here all yours. It's been a long day. We've been presenting at the General Assembly. And also I met have a meeting with the Security Council. So any questions? I'm here. AJE · journalist · Gabriel Lozando [16:16]: Good ambassador. My name is Gabriel Lozando from Al Jazeera English. I know it's been a long day, but my question is thanks for doing this. My question is, what have your conversations been with the United States? I know you have close contacts, having formerly been the Ecuador's ambassador here to this country. In recent weeks, what have been your conversations either with the mission or with Washington, in terms of running for this position? candidate for Secretary-General · Yvonne A. Baki [16:40]: Well, I've had conversations with everyone. And I have conversations with the United States. I had conversations with Ecuador, my country too. I have conversations with Lebanon, my other country too. I've had conversations with everyone, and that's my style of being. I talk with everyone, and I'm looking forward for everyone to support me. journalist [17:02]: Has the United States told you they'll support you? candidate for Secretary-General · Yvonne A. Baki [17:06]: The United States is not choosing any candidate, and I don't expect for them to say anything. Thank you. journalist [17:15]: But the United States does select a candidate. So what is their response to your candidate? candidate for Secretary-General · Yvonne A. Baki [17:21]: I didn't hear. I could not hear. journalist [17:22]: The United States does select A candidate, one of 15 Members They chose they chose the right color candidate for Secretary-General · Yvonne A. Baki [17:29]: No journalist [17:32]: I'm just wondering what they said to you about your candidacy. Washington. candidate for Secretary-General · Yvonne A. Baki [17:38]: I was ambassador in Washington. I was ambassador in Washington. I've been twice ambassador in Washington. So I know Washington very well. I've been with many presidents in Washington. I've been more than 10 years as ambassador there. So I know everyone. And I know a lot of presidents from all over. I've been with more than 12 presidents in Ecuador. So I've been representing Ecuador for more than three decades in different positions. And I've been representing Ecuador as a diplomat also in different countries around the world. I was ambassador in Qatar covering seven Middle Eastern countries. And the last position I had was just in France and Monaco. And then I came back. And now I am candidate for Secretary General for the United Nations because I believe that to make peace in the world, we need the UN. It's done. My dear. AL ARABIYA · صحفي · طلال الحاج [18:34]: طلال الحاج فم العربية. اهلا. اهلا بك. اهلا. ممكن اسألك بالعربي؟ بالعربي طبعا. اه ليش الترشيح لإلك أتى من تونغا مش من الإكوادور بلدك. candidate for Secretary-General · Yvonne A. Baki [18:49]: هيدا هيدا سؤال. بلدي أنا مش بس لبنان وإكوادور بلدي. أنا كل البلاد ما أنا بكون بحس حالي من هالبلد، بس أنا بصدق كتير بالجزر الصغرى اللي هني كتير مهمين لكل شي، أنا مثلا غالاباغوس بالنسبة لإلي كمان جزر، وساعدت كتير لحتى نساعد الناس إللي مش بلاد كبار بس، بقى بالنسبة لإلي تونغا كتير مهمة، وأنا أنهم يسمونني. وباليو ان ليس ضروري البلد الذي هو بلده يسميه. لكن أنا أعتبر حالي من الإكوادور، أعتبر حالي من لبنان، أعتبر حالي من العالم. AL ARABIYA · صحفي · طلال الحاج [19:40]: كيف تقيمي اجتماعك اليوم مع أعضاء الجمعية العامة؟ وأيضا لماذا تأخرت إلى هذا الحد؟ يعني إلى هذه الدرجة عن غيرك بالترشح؟ candidate for Secretary-General · Yvonne A. Baki [19:53]: شوف هيدا سؤال كتير مهم، كان كتير منيح الاجتماع، بالفعل كان كتير منيح الاجتماع مع الكل، وأنا بحس إنه كلن بدن بدن يعملوا أكتر يعني اليو ان بحاجة لتغيير وعم بينعمل وعم بينعمل كتير منيح. ليش تأخرت؟ لأنه أنا ما بفتكر الواحد لازم يوصل بالقهوة دغري. ليش؟ مظبوط أو لا؟ moderator [20:21]: أوكي. شكرا. لا. candidate for Secretary-General · Yvonne A. Baki [20:25]: هي أنا ما قلت هالشي. ما قلت هالشي. بس شكرا. I was there in Lebanon for more than 20 years under the bombs. My children were born under the bombs, and the music for my children to sleep were the bombs. I'm doing this because I believe in peace for the generations to come and for the present generations. عم تحكي عن يوكرانيا. journalist [21:06]: اوكرانيا. candidate for Secretary-General · Yvonne A. Baki [21:19]: بس انا بصدق انه ليش. ام سوري ان انجليش. moderator [21:22]: اه ام سوري. candidate for Secretary-General · Yvonne A. Baki [21:24]: نو يو دون. اي بليف ذات. وف كورس. الوارز ها بيريزون. بعد Once the U.N. couldn't prevent the war, because it could be possible to prevent it, we had to have a solution that doesn't take much time. And I think it took enough time. And people are dying. And this is the thing that we have to think about. What more? When is enough? So we need to find a solution that is good for both. countries. I will not say more than that now. But the UN can do. moderator [22:07]: Yes? KYODO · journalist · Eric Peters [22:08]: Hi, it's Eric. moderator [22:11]: Then Eric? KYODO · journalist · Eric Peters [22:12]: Eric Peters with Kyoto News Agency. It's a Japanese news agency. I want to ask about the ICC. So the US has recently announced sanctions against the ICC, including the president, Tomoko Akane. What is your position on that? And that the ICC has meetings in the headquarters here in New York every year. Do you plan to facilitate those meetings? Thank you. candidate for Secretary-General · Yvonne A. Baki [22:35]: I will not say anything about the ICC. That's a position of the United States. And I'm not going to mention what I believe now. moderator [22:47]: Anyone else? AJE · journalist · Gabriel Lozando [22:48]: You lived in Lebanon. Did you visit much of Palestine or Gaza? candidate for Secretary-General · Yvonne A. Baki [22:53]: I'm from Lebanon. So I've been in Lebanon. I didn't visit Palestine or Gaza. I didn't. And I didn't visit Israel. I mean, I didn't visit any one of those. But if I become secretary general, I will visit all of them. Thank you. Any other? Thank you very much. Thank you. Have a great day.