PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Henry Herrera
Telephone: +1-301-801-0608
Email: info@menandboys.net
Bachelet Withdraws from the Race as UN Faces Crisis of Confidence and Support
September 23, 2026 – Michelle Bachelet of Chile withdrew her candidacy for United Nations Secretary-General on September 19. (1) A Security Council straw poll the day before had given her one “encourage” vote against 11 “discourage” votes. (2)
The International Council for Men and Boys (ICMB) repeatedly opposed the Bachelet candidacy:
- June 2 —ICMB wrote to the permanent UN missions of the United States, the United Kingdom, and Russia, urging each to use its Security Council veto against her appointment. (3)
- June 3 —ICMB named her record as a reason for concern and urged Security Council members to weigh each candidate on the equal rights of both sexes. (4)
- August 26 —ICMB renewed that opposition. (5)
The institution she sought to lead is under strain of its own. The UN Charter’s preamble affirms faith “in the equal rights of men and women.” (6) The UN has come under strong criticism for its failure to deliver that promise to men and boys. (7)
As a result of this betrayal of the UN’s own charter, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned in October 2025 of a “race to bankruptcy” unless member states pay their dues in full and on time. (8) Under his leadership, says Hillel Neuer of UN Watch, the organization “became more politicized, less principled, and increasingly disconnected from its founding mission.” (8)
Gender has shaped the UN Secretary General selection from the beginning, C-Fam reporting in August that ideological voting blocs now drive the race. (9) The most powerful appears to be a European and progressive bloc that wants the next Secretary-General to be a woman. (9) Choosing by sex rather than merit is not equality.
The straw polls show that bloc at work. Rafael Mariano Grossi of Argentina, whom ICMB endorsed on July 8, saw his “discourage” votes climb from two in July to eight on September 18. (10)(5)(2) C-Fam judged that swing more likely to come from states that see him as a threat to the female candidates. (9)
ICMB asks its 1,000+ members to:
- Write your country’s permanent missionto the United Nations before the next straw poll, and demand that the next Secretary-General represent men and women alike, not women alone.
- Ask every remaining candidateto state how they will deliver the Charter’s promise of equal rights to men and boys.
- Withhold supportfrom any candidate whose record treats “gender equality” as a claim for only one sex.
Time is short. ICMB encourages immediate action.
The International Council for Men and Boys is a non-governmental organization working to end the 12 sex disparities that affect men and boys worldwide. The ICMB is the leader of the global movement to address these disparities. https://www.menandboys.net/
Donate to ICMB: go to: https://www.menandboys.net/donate/
Links:
- https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2026-09-20/chiles-bachelet-withdraws-from-race-to-lead-un
- https://passblue.com/2026/09/18/third-straw-poll-for-un-secretary-general-race-shows-no-consensus/
- https://www.menandboys.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Letter-to-US-Mission-Re-Sec-General.pdf
- https://www.menandboys.net/pr/the-uns-next-leader-must-restore-its-broken-promise-to-men-and-boys/
- https://www.menandboys.net/pr/grossi-advances-bachelet-falters-icmb-reaffirms-its-choice-for-un-secretary-general/
- https://www.un.org/en/about-us/un-charter/preamble
- https://www.menandboys.net/un-2/
- https://www.theepochtimes.com/world/new-secretary-general-needs-to-reform-un-an-organization-in-crisis-experts-say-5970655
- https://c-fam.org/friday_fax/woke-muddies-un-secretary-general-race/
- https://www.menandboys.net/pr/international-council-for-men-and-boys-endorses-rafael-grossi-for-un-secretary-general/
