The UN is facing a major crisis - Maria Fernanda Espinosa is singled out as the big favorite

The UN is facing perhaps its biggest challenge ever. Millions of people are being denied emergency aid and thousands of peacekeeping troops have been called home - not because of a reduction in need, but because of austerity.

In the midst of the crisis, Secretary-General António Guterres is to quit. According to an informal order of rotation, it is Latin America's turn to have a Secretary-General of the United Nations, while there are great expectations that for the first time it will be a woman.

One of the big favorites is Ecuador's former top politician Maria Fernanda Espinosa, with, among other things, Minister of Finance and Minister of Defense on her CV. She believes that the UN's crisis is much bigger than just an economic one.

- The lack of money is just a symptom of something bigger, i.e. the UN's weaker credibility and legitimacy. That people do not see the UN on the ground in the most serious conflict zones. People ask, where is the United Nations? That's where the problems begin.

She points out that it is not just about the US cutting off its support for the UN. As many as 74 out of 193 countries have not paid promised support in 2026.

- This sends the message that countries do not see that they get to use currency for the money. It is serious, says Maria Fernanda Espinosa.

How can that happen? What has the UN done wrong?

- I want to be very clear here. Credibility and legitimacy are earned by listening more and dictating less. The UN sometimes comes across as an authoritarian voice that prescribes solutions, rather than listening to people and countries.

Like the other two top candidates to take over – Costa Rica's Rebeca Grynspan and Guyana's Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett – Espinosa wants to see a sweeping change to the UN.

- The world needs a different UN than 80 years ago because the world has changed. But multilateral cooperation must be at the center, the problems we face cannot be solved alone no matter how rich you are or how big your country is.

She looks with concern at developments in the world, and not only in terms of the high number of wars and conflicts. She also points to the development of AI, the climate and environmental crisis and the fact that poor countries have fallen into an ever-increasing debt trap.

- We live in a very dangerous world. Gradual changes and putting band-aids on the problems will not work, she says.

The core of the change she wants to see is about peace work. Espinosa wants to establish a hub for early action and preventive work within the Secretary-General's office, so that the UN can act more quickly on warning signals when a conflict or war is approaching.

- The Secretary General must be able to act faster, make contact with member states and act himself. The first person you see when something is about to go wrong should be the UN Secretary General.

Many believe that the UN has failed in, among other things, Gaza and Ukraine when it comes to violations of international law. What would you do differently?

- The Secretary-General must be a defender of the UN Charter and international law, impartial to member states, but biased in favor of international law.

Would you be more openly critical of member states that violate international law?

- The Secretary General cannot burn diplomatic bridges. Disagreements are the raw material of diplomacy and you have to keep the channels open even to those you disagree with.

Many critics have pointed out that the UN Security Council - with the five permanent members Russia, the United States, China, Great Britain and France - through the right of veto means that the UN is sometimes paralyzed in action. Here, Espinosa opens up for reforms, while at the same time she believes that the criticism of the Security Council is simplistic.

- Many stare blindly at the Security Council, the UN's political decision-making is bigger than that. Yes, we may need to reform the Security Council, so that it is more effective and more representative of the world - but how do we implement what we have already decided? That's a bigger question.

In the middle of the crisis, Maria Fernanda Espinosa wants to remind you that the organization also contributes a lot of positive things, even if it often ends up in the media's shadow.

- It is difficult to get headlines when you prevent a conflict. People also normalize sending thousands of UN staff to very dangerous places and protecting civilians. Thousands have also been killed, says Maria Fernanda Espinosa.

Many want to see a new Dag Hammarskjöld as UN Secretary General. is that you

- I will bring my own leadership style and experience, which is about really listening, teamwork - and the courage to act.