My children fell asleep to the sound of war. When war came to Lebanon, there was no lullaby at night. There were bombs, and that was the music my children slept to. So I made a promise: if we survived, I would work for peace for the rest of my life, and that is exactly what I have been doing ever since. I did not choose this path. It came to me. That is why I believe the @UnitedNations is the most important institution the world has for peace and security. Peace should be led by people who know the real cost of war. Follow @ivonnebaki for a UN that works toward protecting every child the way every mother wants her children to be protected. #ivonnebaki #UN #UNSG #UNGA #Lebanon #War #SurvivalStory

I am humbled and honored to announce that I am now an official candidate for the Office of Secretary-General of the United Nations. My formal nomination was submitted to the UN General Assembly by the Kingdom of Tonga, and I wish to express my deep, heartfelt gratitude to His Majesty King Tupou VI; Prime Minister Lord Fakafānua; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Crown Prince Tupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala; and Tonga's UN Permanent Representative Vaʼinga Tōnē for their nomination and for believing in a vision of peace and institutional renewal. I have lived through the ravages of war. As the only candidate whose heritage bridges Latin America and the Middle East, and the only nominee to have helped broker a peace agreement between two sovereign UN member states, I stand ready to help renew the UN Charter’s foundational promise: to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war in a world where conflict continues to grow. As an experienced Cabinet Minister, President of the Andean Parliament, and Ecuadorian Ambassador who has served across four continents, I stand ready to bring outside perspectives, fresh ideas, new talent, and an unyielding commitment to shift the world body away from a focus on process and move instead toward achieving real, measurable results for the UN’s 193 member states and the eight billion people the world body serves. I look forward to engaging with member states to earn their support, participating in dialogues with the General Assembly and Security Council, and working together to build a UN that delivers for everyone. I invite all to read my vision statement and share our journey as I launch my candidacy to serve as the UN's 10th Secretary-General: ivonne-a-baki.org/ #UNSG #IvonneABaki #UnitedNations #Tonga #Ecuador #Diplomacy