Michelle Bachelet, former president of Chile and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said at an event organized by Universidad Diego Portales that she knows she will not become the next UN secretary general. ^[1] Former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet stated on September 3, 2026, that she will not be the UN Secretary-General, describing the situation as a relief. ^[2] Bachelet attributed the crisis of multilateralism partly to US President Donald Trump, saying it did not start with him but has taken much strength under his leadership. ^[3] Chile's government under President José Antonio Kast withdrew its sponsorship of Bachelet's UN candidacy in March 2026. ^[4] In the second informal poll of the UN Security Council for the secretary general selection, held at the end of August 2026, Bachelet received six unfavorable votes, placing her seventh of eight candidates. ^[5] Bachelet said the United Nations has lost relevance because other unilateral or minilateral options have been taken, citing Iran, and that the UN faces a liquidity crisis because the United States contributes 22% of the regular budget but has not paid for four years, while China contributes 20% but is generally late. ^[6] Bachelet identified climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution as the triple planetary crisis, and unregulated artificial intelligence as a second major challenge for humanity. ^[7] Michelle Bachelet stated that the UN has lost relevance due to economic and political asphyxiation, citing the default of the United States and the financial rise of Beijing. ^[8] Michelle Bachelet argued that the decline in US soft power and the significant growth of China's soft power are driving the current crisis in multilateralism. ^[9]