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Tag: Rafael Grossi

  • Ecuador’s Maria Fernanda Espinosa Calls for Responsible UN Downsizing in Secretary-General Bid

    Ecuador’s Maria Fernanda Espinosa Calls for Responsible UN Downsizing in Secretary-General Bid

    Former Ecuadorian foreign minister Maria Fernanda Espinosa has called for a responsible reduction in the size of the United Nations while maintaining its effectiveness, as she campaigns to become the next UN secretary-general.

    Speaking during a hearing on her candidacy on Monday, Espinosa acknowledged the significant challenges facing the global organization but expressed confidence that meaningful reforms could restore its credibility and effectiveness.

    Espinosa is one of six candidates seeking to succeed António Guterres, whose second term as UN secretary-general is set to conclude at the end of 2026. The next UN leader will inherit an organization facing growing criticism over its effectiveness, influence and ability to respond to global crises.

    “The UN remains essential,” Espinosa argued, while emphasizing that reforms are necessary to address concerns about bureaucracy, inefficiency and declining public trust.

    According to Espinosa, the organization is often perceived as slow, fragmented and unable to deliver results quickly enough during international emergencies. She said the UN must demonstrate tangible outcomes rather than relying solely on promises of change.

    “We can shrink the UN responsibly, while strengthening national ownership and delivery, and restoring faith in the UN,” she said during her presentation.

    A former Ecuadorian ambassador to the United Nations, Espinosa also served as president of the United Nations General Assembly from 2018 to 2019. She suggested that national governments could assume greater responsibility in some areas currently managed by the UN, although she did not provide specific proposals.

    Espinosa previously served in the administration of former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa but has increasingly distanced herself from his political movement in recent years.

    Her candidacy was formally nominated by Antigua and Barbuda. Meanwhile, Ecuador’s current president, Daniel Noboa, has not publicly commented on her bid.

    The race for the UN’s top position is becoming increasingly competitive. Other declared candidates include Rebeca Grynspan, Michelle Bachelet, Macky Sall, Rafael Grossi, and Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett.

    Many of the candidates have emphasized the need for institutional reforms while defending the UN’s central role in peacekeeping, diplomacy, humanitarian assistance and international development.

    The selection process, scheduled for later this year, will involve extensive negotiations among UN member states. Although tradition favors candidates from regions outside the five permanent members of the UN Security Council — the United States, China, Russia, Britain and France — support from those major powers remains essential to securing the position.

    The upcoming election also carries historic significance, as no woman has ever served as secretary-general in the United Nations’ history. Several observers see the current race as a potential opportunity to break that precedent.

  • Ukraine Strikes Russian Energy Infrastructure, Rejects Claims of Attack on Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant

    Ukraine Strikes Russian Energy Infrastructure, Rejects Claims of Attack on Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant

    Ukraine has launched a new wave of drone strikes against Russian energy facilities while firmly denying Moscow’s accusation that it targeted the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe’s largest nuclear power station.

    According to Ukraine’s General Staff, overnight drone operations struck the Saratov Oil Refinery in southwestern Russia, triggering what officials described as a large-scale fire. The refinery, owned by Rosneft, produces diesel, gasoline, and other fuels that Kyiv says support Russia’s military operations in Ukraine.

    Local Russian authorities confirmed damage to civilian infrastructure in the Saratov region, while independent Russian media reported a fire at the refinery.

    Ukraine has intensified attacks on Russian oil and gas infrastructure in recent months, arguing that energy revenues are critical to financing Moscow’s military campaign, which began with the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

    Additional drone strikes reportedly targeted a fuel depot in Russia’s Rostov Region, near the border with occupied eastern Ukraine. Regional officials said the attack caused a major fire and forced nearby residents to evacuate.

    Kyiv also claimed responsibility for a strike on the Lazarevo oil pumping station in Russia’s Kirov Region, a facility involved in transporting Siberian oil toward Belarus. Local authorities acknowledged that drones hit a facility in the region but did not disclose further details.

    Meanwhile, tensions escalated over reports of an incident at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. Russia’s state nuclear corporation, Rosatom, alleged that a Ukrainian drone struck a turbine hall at one of the plant’s power units, causing an explosion and damage to a building wall.

    Rosatom chief Alexei Likhachev described the incident as a deliberate attack but stated that no critical equipment was damaged.

    Ukraine’s military categorically rejected the accusation, calling it a propaganda effort. Ukrainian officials stated that their forces neither targeted nor struck the facility and emphasized their adherence to international humanitarian law regarding nuclear installations.

    The dispute prompted concern from Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, who expressed serious concern following reports of the incident.

    Ukraine’s nuclear regulatory agency said any alleged damage should be independently verified by IAEA inspectors stationed at the plant as part of the agency’s ongoing monitoring mission.

    The Zaporizhzhia facility has remained a major point of concern throughout the war. Captured by Russian forces during the early stages of the invasion, the plant sits near active front lines and has repeatedly been the subject of accusations from both Moscow and Kyiv, each blaming the other for attacks that could risk a nuclear accident.

    Elsewhere, Ukraine’s air force reported shooting down 212 of the 299 drones launched by Russia overnight. Officials said 14 drones reached their intended targets, while debris from intercepted drones fell across several locations.

    Russian drone attacks also struck the city of Dnipro and an oil refinery in Ukraine’s Rivne Region, causing fires. Regional authorities reported no injuries at the refinery, and emergency crews were deployed to contain the damage.