Mbabane – Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Senator Pholile Shakantu has called for a woman to be appointed as the next United Nations Secretary-General, making the appeal before ambassadors and EU representatives gathered at the Hilton Hotel in Mbabane on Friday for the third Eswatini-EU Partnership Dialogue.
The dialogue, held to mark 50 years of partnership between the Kingdom of Eswatini and the European Union, brought together ambassadors from EU member states and EU Ambassador H.E. Karsten Mecklenburg, who presented a commemorative booklet marking the 50-year milestone to Senator Shakantu, the Minister of Economics and Planning, the Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce, and the Eswatini Ambassador to the European Union.
“I am personally concerned about the gender imbalance within the United Nations system and I believe that at this time it is time for a woman Secretary-General,” Shakantu told delegates. “As the United Nations marks 80 years of existence, it is eight decades, nine secretaries-general, and all of them have been men.” 
Shakantu said she participated in a meeting hosted by Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister, the Honourable Mélanie Joly, and co-chaired with Jamaica’s Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister, Senator the Honourable Kamina Johnson Smith, where women foreign ministers resolved to call for a woman Secretary-General. “We want member states to support that, after 80 years, for an organisation that is championing equal rights for men and women. We believe that the UN must set the example by appointing a woman Secretary-General.”
Beyond the UN gender question, Shakantu used the occasion to pay tribute to His Majesty King Mswati III, who has been on the throne for 40 years, noting that the King is a strong champion for the EU partnership and for multilateralism. She said the OACPS had requested His Majesty to serve as champion for resource mobilisation, and that he had engaged heads of state across Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific to stress the importance of continued partnership with the European Union.
“Out of all the partners, he believes that the EU is the most trusted partner because of the work that the EU has done in all the member states,” Shakantu said.
The Kingdom is also hosting the EU-OACPS Joint Parliamentary Assembly, with the Africa regional meeting having begun the previous day and the full joint assembly set to start on 12 May.
Shakantu told delegates that Eswatini values its 50-year relationship with the EU, which has supported the country’s national development across governance, trade, health, education, agriculture, energy and youth development. She called for continued cooperation promoting inclusive economic growth, investment, skills development, climate resilience and innovation.
She also raised the real-world impact of global geopolitical tensions on ordinary Emaswati, pointing to a recent fuel price increase as evidence that high-level diplomatic discussions must translate into solutions for people on the ground. Eswatini has assumed a position on the AU Peace and Security Council, and His Majesty is the incoming chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security.
On UN Security Council reform, Shakantu said the Kingdom remains guided by the Ezulwini Consensus, stating that Africa’s under-representation within global governance structures requires urgent attention.
Eswatini’s foreign policy position remains unchanged, Shakantu said, describing it as being “a friend to all and an enemy to none,” using the siSwati expression “anginasitha” to drive the point home.
