AI-Media Unveils LEXI Voice at NAB Show 2025 – Global Reach with Live AI-Powered Voice Translation

BROOKLYN, N.Y. and NEW YORK, April 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AI–Media (ASX: AIM), a global leader in AI–driven captioning and language technology, today announced the successful commercial launch of LEXI Voice at NAB Show 2025 in Las Vegas. The live debut of the breakthrough solution – which delivers real–time alternate–language voice tracks using AI – was met with strong interest from global broadcasters, live event producers, streaming platforms, and enterprise leaders.

LEXI Voice represents a leap forward in live translation, transforming a single–language broadcast into a multi–language experience – with natural–sounding synthetic voices, ultra–low latency (~8 – 12 seconds), and no additional hardware required. The result: new audience access, increased advertising revenue, and dramatic cost savings compared to traditional human interpretation.

“Customers are telling us that LEXI Voice delivers exactly what they need: accuracy, scale, and simplicity – all at a disruptive price point,” said James Ward, Chief Sales Officer at AI–Media. “For many, this is the moment multilingual delivery finally becomes commercially viable.”

Strategic Differentiators:

  • Price Point: At USD $30/hr (plus standard LEXI captioning rate), LEXI Voice slashes live translation costs by up to 90%.
  • Platform Reach: Works seamlessly with AIM’s global encoder network – Alta (SMPTE 2110 and MPEG–TS), Encoder Pro – HD492 (SDI), and iCap – requiring no new infrastructure for existing customers.
  • Broadcast–Grade Voices: Customers praised the natural tone, intelligibility, and speaker clarity of the AI–generated output.
  • Plug–and–Play: Same scheduling, APIs, billing, and support as current captioning workflows.

Available Immediately:

  • Translation into 100+ languages
  • Customisable voices by region, gender, and tone
  • Glossary and phonetic tools to ensure brand and name consistency
  • AI voice replacement of original audio with full audio mixing
  • Support for up to five alternate–language tracks per channel

Real–World Applications Already Underway: LEXI Voice is attracting:

  • Global broadcasters localising sports, news, and entertainment to unlock new ad inventory
  • Governments and legislatures ensuring inclusive language access for public sessions
  • Corporates expanding reach in internal town halls and investor communications
  • Streaming platforms and events scaling accessibility to diverse global audiences

The launch aligns with AI–Media’s strategic roadmap to triple Tech revenue by FY29 and achieve $60M EBITDA, as outlined in its FY25 investor communications. The company is focused on driving SaaS growth through its expanding LEXI Toolkit, which now includes LEXI Voice, LEXI Brew (Generative AI), and LEXI Translate.

“NAB was the first time our customers saw the complete LEXI Voice solution live – and the response confirmed what we knew: the market is ready,” said Ward. “This product transforms what’s possible in real–time multilingual engagement.”

For more information or to request a private demonstration, visit: LEXI Voice | Break Language Barriers & Grow Your Revenue

Follow AI–Media on LinkedIn for ongoing updates and customer success stories.

About AI–Media

Founded in Australia in 2003, AI–Media (ASX: AIM) is a pioneering technology company specialising in AI language and captioning workflow solutions.
As a global leader, AI–Media provides high–quality AI–powered live and recorded captioning and translation technology and solutions to a diverse range of customers and markets worldwide.
For the first time in February 2024, AI–Media unveiled groundbreaking data showcasing the superiority of its AI captioning product, LEXI, over traditional more expensive human workflows.
With deep industry experience and sophisticated AI technology to create solutions which streamline and simplify processes, AI–Media empowers leading broadcasters, enterprises and government agencies globally to ensure seamless accessibility and inclusivity of their content. AI–Media’s proprietary technologies – iCap, LEXI, Alta, and the LEXI Toolkit – are trusted across 25+ countries to deliver unmatched accuracy, reliability, and efficiency.

Media Contact:
Fiona Habben
Head of Global Marketing
Fiona.habben@ai–media.tv

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/15d29007–51d7–4d87–a1e9–4b1b17a8d049

A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/deb7fa0f–d0c9–4ee2–a4eb–5bb5ca299ed5


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9421739)

Bitget Records $2.08 Trillion Total Trading Volume in Q1 2025; Spot Trading Surged 159% QoQ

VICTORIA, Seychelles, April 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget, the leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company, Bitget ended the first quarter of 2025 with $2.08 trillion in total trading volume, driven by a sharp 159% increase in spot trading, which reached $387 billion. The spike came amid heightened market participation and sustained momentum across new listings and core product lines.

User growth remained strong. Bitget added 4.89 million users on its CEX platform and 15 million users on Bitget Wallet in Q1 alone, bringing the platform's global user base to over 120 million—a nearly 20% rise. Bitget’s native token, BGB, had a volatile but net–positive quarter. The period also saw the introduction of a refreshed roadmap for BGB, outlining expanded utility in staking, Launchpad participation, and integrations with new DeFi ecosystems. A quarterly burn schedule remains in place to manage supply–side pressures.

Security stayed front and center, especially after a record–breaking $2.1 billion was lost to crypto hacks industry–wide. Bitget transferred nearly $100 million in ETH to Bybit after its breach, a move that signaled a rare but critical exchange–to–exchange alignment in times of crisis. Meanwhile, Bitget’s Proof–of–Reserves consistently exceeded the 130% mark through Q1. Its Protection Fund grew from $495 million in January to $514 million by March, tracking a cautious yet upward trend in asset reserves.

“This quarter’s performance shows the value of staying agile in a volatile environment. In the next quarter, we will continue to focus on institutional–grade infrastructure and double down on expanding its Web3 presence through our ecosystem. Compliance remains a key pillar as the exchange navigates tighter global oversight while staying anchored to its core ethos: helping users trade smarter,” said Gracy Chen, CEO at Bitget.

Beyond product performance, Bitget broadened its global footprint through on–ground events and targeted initiatives. It entered motorsports by sponsoring Brazilian driver Flávio Sampaio in the 2025 Porsche Carrera Cup and hosted Ramadan–focused gatherings across MENA and Asia. Over 60,000 meals were distributed during the holy month through donations from local partners.

The Blockchain4Her initiative, launched in 2024 with $10 million earmarked for long–term deployment, marked its first anniversary. The program welcomed three new ambassadors and ran activations in Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe aimed at onboarding more women into Web3.

Bitget also advanced its infrastructure and integrations. AI–backed trading tool Bitget Seed was introduced to identify and list early–stage tokens with strong on–chain signals. Integrations with Zen and Callpay improved fiat onramps across Europe and South Africa. BGB’s liquidity expanded further through Morph Chain and Bulbaswap.

Bitget continues to scale its infrastructure, onboard new users, and optimize for resilience. With a robust user pipeline, rising token activity, and new partnerships in motion, the platform is set for another strong quarter.

For the full Q1 2025 full report, please visit here.

About Bitget

Established in 2018, Bitget is the world's leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company. Serving over 100 million users in 150+ countries and regions, the Bitget exchange is committed to helping users trade smarter with its pioneering copy trading feature and other trading solutions, while offering real–time access to Bitcoin priceEthereum price, and other cryptocurrency prices. Formerly known as BitKeep, Bitget Wallet is a world–class multi–chain crypto wallet that offers an array of comprehensive Web3 solutions and features including wallet functionality, token swap, NFT Marketplace, DApp browser, and more.

Bitget is at the forefront of driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships, such as its role as the Official Crypto Partner of the World's Top Football League, LALIGA, in EASTERN, SEA and LATAM markets, as well as a global partner of Turkish National athletes Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (Wrestling world champion), Samet Gümüş (Boxing gold medalist) and İlkin Aydın (Volleyball national team), to inspire the global community to embrace the future of cryptocurrency.

For more information, visit: WebsiteTwitterTelegramLinkedInDiscordBitget Wallet

For media inquiries, please contact: [email protected]

Risk Warning: Digital asset prices are subject to fluctuation and may experience significant volatility. Investors are advised to only allocate funds they can afford to lose. The value of any investment may be impacted, and there is a possibility that financial objectives may not be met, nor the principal investment recovered. Independent financial advice should always be sought, and personal financial experience and standing carefully considered. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Bitget accepts no liability for any potential losses incurred. Nothing contained herein should be construed as financial advice. For further information, please refer to our Terms of Use.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1b44f8d0–d6b3–40ae–a53f–5e2a7967d105


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 1001080141)

CGTN: التحول الصيني في مجال السينما: كيف تسببت سياسة الرسوم الجمركية الأمريكية في ذلك؟

نشرت شبكة CGTN مقالاً تناولت فيه كيفية تناقض الشراكة السينمائية الجديدة بين الصين وإسبانيا مع تخفيضات الصين على واردات الأفلام الأمريكية، كاشفةً التأثير السلبي لحرب الرسوم الجمركية التي تشنّها الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، ما يعرّض السوق الخارجية الأكثر ربحًا في هوليوود للخطر ويُضعف هيمنة تجارة الخدمات الأوسع نطاقًا في البلاد.

بكين, April 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

وقّعت الصين وإسبانيا، خلال زيارة رئيس الوزراء الإسباني Pedro Sanchez إلى الصين يوم الجمعة، مذكرة تفاهم بشأن التعاون السينمائي، ما أعطى زخمًا جديدًا للتبادلات الثقافية بين البلدين.

ستُعزّز الصين وإسبانيا تعاونهما في مجال صناعة السينما، بما في ذلك المشاركة بشكل مشترك في المهرجانات والعروض المتبادلة والإنتاج المشترك وتبادل الموظفين، وذلك وفقًا لمذكرة التفاهم المُوقعة بين الإدارة الوطنية الصينية للسينما China's National Film Administration والمعهد الإسباني للتصوير السينمائي والفنون السمعية البصرية Spain's Institute of Cinematography and Audiovisual Arts.

تُشكِل الشراكة السينمائية المُعزّزة بين الصين وإسبانيا تناقضًا واضحًا مع إعلان بكين عن خطتها لتقليص تدريجي لواردات الأفلام الأمريكية.

أفاد متحدث باسم الإدارة الصينية للسينما China Film Administration، يوم الخميس، أن هذا التعديل يأتي انسجامًا مع مبادئ السوق ويعكس تفضيلات الجمهور، مشيرًا إلى أن الزيادات الأخيرة في الرسوم الجمركية التي فرضتها الولايات المتحدة على الواردات الصينية من شأنها أن تؤثّر سلبًا على اهتمام الجمهور الصيني بالأفلام الأمريكية.

شهدت أسهم العديد من شركات السينما والإعلام الأمريكية الكبرى انخفاضًا حادًا عقب إعلان الصين عن نيتها خفض واردات هوليوود. وقد شهدت شركتا Walt Disney وWarner Bros. Discovery, Inc انخفاضًا في أسعار أسهمهما بنسبة 6.79% و12.53% على التوالي.

يعزو المحللون هذا الانخفاض إلى المخاوف المتزايدة من فقدان القدرة على دخول ثاني أكبر سوق للأفلام في العالم. وتُظهِر البيانات أن إجمالي إصدارات الأفلام الأمريكية في الصين بلغ 63 فيلمًا في عام 2018 و52 فيلمًا في عام 2019، محققةً إجمالي إيرادات قدره 19.9 مليار يوان (2.72 مليار دولار)، وهو ما يمثل أكثر من 80% من إجمالي إيرادات الأفلام الأجنبية خلال هذه الفترة. تُعَد هذه الفترة واحدة من أفضل الفترات التي شهدت نجاحًا كبيرًا للأفلام الأمريكية في شباك التذاكر الصيني.

من قطاع الأفلام ووصولاً إلى المالية والتكنولوجيا، أخفقت إدارة الرئيس الأمريكي Donald Trump في الاعتراف بفائضها التجاري الهائل في قطاع الخدمات مع شركائها التجاريين عندما اتخذت قرارًا بفرض رسوم جمركية إضافية شاملة على السلع المستوردة تحت ذريعة تقليص عجزها التجاري.

تُعَد الولايات المتحدة هي أكبر مصدر لتراجع تجارة الخدمات في الصين. ووفقًا لوزارة التجارة الأمريكية، قفزت صادرات الخدمات الأمريكية إلى الصين من 5.63 مليار دولار في عام 2001 إلى 46.71 مليار دولار في عام 2023، بزيادة 7.3 مرات، بينما تضخّمَ الفائض التجاري السنوي للخدمات 11.5 مرة ليصل إلى 26.57 مليار دولار، مسجلاً أعلى مستوى له عند 39.7 مليار دولار في عام 2019.

تُهدِّد التوترات التجارية المستمرة بين الولايات المتحدة وشركائها التجاريين بتعطيل تجارة الخدمات لديها. حذّرَت رئيسة المفوضية الأوروبية، Ursula von der Leyen، من أن الاتحاد الأوروبي قد يضطر لتصعيد الحرب التجارية من خلال استهداف قطاع الخدمات الأمريكية، الذي تُحقِّق فيه الولايات المتحدة فائضًا تجاريًا كبيرًا مع أوروبا، في حال فشل المفاوضات بشأن الرسوم الجمركية.

في مقابلة مع صحيفة Financial Times، أشارت von der Leyen إلى كبرى شركات التكنولوجيا الأمريكية كأحد النقاط التي يمكن الضغط من خلالها، مشيرةً إلى استعداد بروكسل لفرض ضريبة على الإعلانات الرقمية التي من شأنها التأثير بشكل مباشر على شركات مثل Meta وGoogle وFacebook.

يُظهر أحدث تعاون سينمائي بين الصين وإسبانيا التزام الصين بالانفتاح المستدام واستعدادها لمشاركة فرص السوق مع الشركاء العالميين.

اتفق رئيس الوزراء الصيني Li Qiang ونظيره الإسباني، اللذان شهدا توقيع مذكرة التفاهم يوم الجمعة، على تعزيز التعاون في مجالات الاقتصاد والتجارة والاستثمار والابتكار التكنولوجي، ودعم التجارة الحرة والتعاون المفتوح بشكل مشترك والدفاع عن مبادئ التعددية.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025–04–12/China–s–silver–screen–pivot–Why–U–S–tariff–policy–is–to–blame–1Cw1kkpIbni/p.html

جهة الاتصال: CGTN
البريد الإلكتروني: [email protected]


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9421732)

CGTN: A Virada no Cinema Chinês: Causada pela política tarifária dos EUA

A CGTN publicou um artigo sobre como a nova parceria cinematográfica da China com a Espanha contrasta com seus cortes nas importações de filmes dos EUA, expondo o impacto autodestrutivo da guerra tarifária dos Estados Unidos – colocando em risco o mercado externo mais lucrativo de Hollywood e minando o domínio mais amplo do comércio de serviços do país.

PEQUIM, April 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Durante a visita do primeiro–ministro espanhol Pedro Sanchez à China na sexta–feira, os dois países assinaram um memorando de entendimento (MOU) de cooperação cinematográfica, dando um novo impulso aos intercâmbios culturais bilaterais.

A China e a Espanha aprofundarão a colaboração na indústria cinematográfica, com a participação conjunta em festivais, exibições mútuas, coproduções e intercâmbios de pessoal, de acordo com o Memorando de Entendimento assinado entre a Administração Nacional de Cinema da China e o Instituto de Cinematografia e Artes Audiovisuais da Espanha.

A parceria cinematográfica aprimorada entre a China e a Espanha contrasta fortemente com o anúncio de Pequim do seu plano de reduzir moderadamente o número de filmes importados dos EUA.

Um porta–voz da China Film Administration disse na quinta–feira que o ajuste segue os princípios do mercado e reflete as preferências do público, já que os recentes aumentos das tarifas dos Estados Unidos sobre as importações chinesas devem afetar o interesse do público chinês nos filmes dos EUA.

Após a China indicar os cortes das importações de Hollywood, as ações de várias grandes empresas de cinema e mídia dos EUA caíram acentuadamente. A Walt Disney Company e a Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. tiveram uma queda de 6,79 e 12,53 por cento das ações, respectivamente.

Os analistas atribuem o declínio aos crescentes temores de serem excluídos do segundo maior mercado de filmes do mundo. Os dados mostram que os lançamentos de filmes dos EUA na China totalizaram 63 em 2018 e 52 em 2019, gerando 19,9 bilhões de yuans (US $ 2,72 bilhões) no total e comandando mais de 80% de toda a receita de filmes estrangeiros nesse período. Esta foi uma das melhores corridas para filmes dos EUA nas bilheterias chinesas.

De filmes a finanças e tecnologia, o governo do presidente dos EUA, Donald Trump, não reconheceu seu enorme superávit comercial no setor de serviços com seus parceiros comerciais quando decidiu impor tarifas adicionais sobre bens importados sob o pretexto de reduzir seus déficits comerciais.

Os Estados Unidos são a maior fonte de déficits comerciais de serviços da China. De acordo com o Departamento de Comércio dos EUA, as exportações de serviços americanos para a China aumentaram de US $ 5,63 bilhões em 2001 para US $ 46,71 bilhões em 2023 – um aumento de 7,3 vezes – enquanto o superávit comercial anual de serviços aumentou 11,5 vezes para US $ 26,57 bilhões, chegando a US $ 39,7 bilhões em 2019.

As tensões comerciais em curso entre os EUA e seus parceiros comerciais ameaçam interromper seu comércio de serviços. A presidente da Comissão Europeia, Ursula von der Leyen, alertou que a União Europeia está preparada para escalar a guerra comercial dos serviços dos EUA – um setor em que os EUA têm um superávit comercial significativo com a Europa – caso as negociações das tarifas fracassem.

Em entrevista ao Financial Times, von der Leyen destacou os gigantes da tecnologia dos EUA como um potencial ponto de pressão, sinalizando a determinação de Bruxelas em impor um imposto de publicidade digital que irá afetar diretamente empresas como Meta, Google e Facebook.

A mais recente colaboração cinematográfica China–Espanha demonstra o compromisso da China com a abertura sustentada e a disposição de compartilhar oportunidades de mercado com parceiros globais.

O primeiro–ministro chinês Li Qiang e o primeiro–ministro espanhol, que testemunharam a assinatura do Memorando de Entendimento na sexta–feira, concordaram em aumentar a cooperação na economia, comércio, investimento e inovação tecnológica, apoiar conjuntamente o livre comércio e a cooperação aberta, e defender o multilateralismo.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025–04–12/China–s–silver–screen–pivot–Why–U–S–tariff–policy–is–to–blame–1Cw1kkpIbni/p.html


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9421732)

CGTN: Der Wechsel Chinas auf die Leinwand: Warum die Zollpolitik der USA daran schuld ist

CGTN hat einen Artikel über den Widerspruch zwischen der neuen Filmkooperation Chinas mit Spanien und den Kürzungen der US–amerikanischen Filmimporte veröffentlicht, in dem die selbstzerstörerischen Auswirkungen des Zollkriegs der USA beschrieben werden, der den lukrativsten Auslandsmarkt Hollywoods gefährdet und die allgemeine Dominanz des Landes im Dienstleistungshandel untergräbt.

PEKING, April 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Im Rahmen des Besuchs des spanischen Premierministers Pedro Sanchez in China am Freitag haben die beiden Länder eine Absichtserklärung über eine gemeinsame Filmkooperation unterzeichnet und damit dem bilateralen Kulturaustausch neuen Schwung verliehen.

Laut der zwischen der Nationalen Filmverwaltung Chinas und dem spanischen Institut für Kinematographie und audiovisuelle Künste unterzeichneten Absichtserklärung planen China und Spanien eine Vertiefung der Zusammenarbeit in der Filmindustrie, einschließlich der gemeinsamen Teilnahme an Festivals, gemeinsamer Vorführungen, Koproduktionen und des Personalaustauschs.

Die verstärkte Filmkooperation zwischen China und Spanien steht in deutlichem Widerspruch zur Ankündigung Pekings, die Zahl der importierten US–Filme maßvoll zu reduzieren.

Ein Sprecher der chinesischen Filmbehörde erklärte am Donnerstag, die Anpassung folge den Prinzipien des Marktes und spiegele die Vorlieben des Publikums wider, da die jüngsten Zollerhöhungen der USA auf chinesische Importe sich zwangsläufig auf das Interesse des chinesischen Publikums an US–Filmen auswirken würden.

Nach der Ankündigung Chinas zur Einschränkung von Hollywood–Importen verzeichneten die Aktien mehrerer großer US–amerikanischer Film– und Medienunternehmen einen drastischen Kursverlust. Die Aktien der Walt Disney Company und von Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. fielen um 6,79 bzw. 12,53 %.

Analysten führen den Einbruch auf die wachsende Furcht zurück, vom zweitgrößten Filmmarkt der Welt ausgeschlossen zu werden. Laut Daten wurden 2018 insgesamt 63 und 2019 52 US–Filme in China veröffentlicht, die insgesamt einen Umsatz von 19,9 Mrd. Yuan (2,72 Mrd. USD) erzielten und über 80 % aller ausländischen Filmumsätze in diesem Zeitraum ausmachten. Damit handelte es sich um einen der besten Einspielergebnisse für US–Filme an den chinesischen Kinokassen.

Die Regierung von US–Präsident Donald Trump hat es versäumt, den massiven Handelsüberschuss im Dienstleistungshandel mit ihren Handelspartnern anzuerkennen, als sie beschloss, unter dem Vorwand des Abbaus von Handelsdefiziten umfassende zusätzliche Zölle auf importierte Waren zu erheben – von Filmen bis hin zu Finanzen und Technologie.

Die USA sind für die größten Defizite im Dienstleistungshandel in China verantwortlich. Nach Angaben des US–Handelsministeriums stiegen die amerikanischen Dienstleistungsexporte nach China von 5,63 Mrd. USD im Jahr 2001 auf 46,71 Mrd. USD im Jahr 2023 und damit um das 7,3–fache, während der jährliche Handelsüberschuss im Dienstleistungshandel um das 11,5–Fache auf 26,57 Mrd. USD anstieg und im Jahr 2019 mit 39,7 Mrd. USD seinen Höhepunkt erreichte.

Die anhaltenden Handelsspannungen zwischen den USA und ihren Handelspartnern drohen den Dienstleistungshandel zu gefährden. Die Präsidentin der Europäischen Kommission, Ursula von der Leyen, hat eine Bereitschaft der Europäischen Union zur Verschärfung des Handelskriegs durch gezielte Maßnahmen gegen den Dienstleistungssektor in den USA signalisiert, einem Sektor mit erheblichen Handelsüberschüssen zwischen den USA und Europa, sollten die Verhandlungen über Zölle scheitern.

In einem Interview mit der Financial Times nannte von der Leyen die US–Tech–Giganten als potenziellen Druckpunkt und kündigte die Bereitschaft Brüssels an, eine Steuer auf digitale Werbung zu erheben, die Firmen wie Meta, Google und Facebook direkt betreffen würde.

Die jüngste Filmkooperation zwischen China und Spanien zeigt das Engagement Chinas für eine anhaltende Offenheit und die Bereitschaft zum Austausch von Marktchancen mit globalen Partnern.

Der chinesische Ministerpräsident Li Qiang und der spanische Premierminister, die der Unterzeichnung der Absichtserklärung am Freitag beiwohnten, vereinbarten eine verstärkte Kooperation in den Bereichen Wirtschaft, Handel, Investitionen und technologische Innovation, die gemeinsame Unterstützung des Freihandels und der offenen Zusammenarbeit sowie die Förderung des Multilateralismus.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025–04–12/China–s–silver–screen–pivot–Why–U–S–tariff–policy–is–to–blame–1Cw1kkpIbni/p.html


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 9421732)

How to Ensure Election of the First Woman Secretary-General: A Daunting Challenge Before the United Nations

A participant addresses a townhall meeting between the UN Secretary General and civil society groups. Credit: UN Photo/Evan Schneider

By Anwarul Chowdhury
NEW YORK, Apr 14 2025 – On 21 March 2025, the 69th session of the Commission for the Status of Women, popularly referred to as the CSW69, concluded its two-week-long annual meet which commenced on 10 March.

It is considered to be the largest annual gathering under the United Nations umbrella of women activists from various parts of the world representing mainly their civil society organizations. This year an astounding number of over 11,000 participants registered on the NGO CSW69 Forum platform.

This year’s session, publicized as Beijing+30, focused on the status of the implementation of the Declaration and Platform for Action adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing in 1995. Some of the civil society activists reminded that 2025 was also the 25th anniversary of the pioneering UN Security Council resolution 1325 adopted in 2000 highlighting the need for recognizing the women’s positive contributions in the area of peace and security.

This year for the first time the civil society events organized parallel to the CSW69 included the issue of electing a woman Secretary-General of the United Nations (UNSG) in its 80-year-old existence. Two such events focused solely on the dire urgency of electing the next and first woman UNSG.

Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury

The first deliberation on this subject was held on 5 March as a pre-event for the CSW69 and was titled “A Historic First? Tracking State Responses to Having a Feminist Woman UN Secretary-General” and sponsored by the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP), NYU School of International Studies and 1 For 8 Billion.

The second event was held on the last day the CSW69 titled “Gender Equality at the Highest Level: Electing a Woman Secretary-General” sponsored by WomanSG campaign and the Academic Council on the United Nations System (ACUNS). I was invited to speak at both of these events.

The incumbent Antonio Guterres, a former Prime Minister of Portugal, is scheduled to end his 10-year-old two-term tenure on 31 December 2026. The decision to elect the new UNSG is expected not earlier than October of that year. Article 97 of the UN Charter mentions that “… The Secretary-General shall be appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council. He shall be the chief administrative officer of the Organization.”

The UN Member States may have taken the last sentence of this article too literally and elected only men as UNSG. As we all know, the Charter of the United Nations, when signed in 1945, was the first international agreement to affirm the principle of equality between women and men.

I recall Eleanor Roosevelt’s words asserting that “Too often the great decisions are originated and given shape in bodies made up wholly of men, or so completely dominated by them that whatever of special value women have to offer is shunted aside without expression.”

It is a reality that politics, more so security, is a man’s world.

Talking of political participation of women, sadly the United Nations, being the greatest champion of women’s equality and rights, sadly its own record is not something which we can be proud of.

To assist the UN move in the right direction and assert its credibility, in September 2012, a “Call to Action” was issued to world leaders gathering at the UN by IMPACT Leadership 21 and co-signed by me as the Founder of the Global Movement for The Culture of Peace (GMCoP) – and reiterated in 2016 – asking for urgent action, particularly for the appointment of a Woman as the next Secretary-General of the United Nations.

In its eight decades of existence, the world body has elected ONLY MEN to that post, as if only men are destined to lead the United Nations.

In an opinion piece titled “The Elusive Woman Secretary-General” published in the IPS Journal on 14 October 2016, the day after election of the current Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, I expressed my frustration saying that “The Security Council members were totally insensitive to a groundswell of support worldwide for a woman as the next Secretary-General.

They advanced the legacy of ignoring the 50 per cent of humanity in their action. This is an absolute aberration of the system whereby the 15 members of the Council impose their choice prompted by P-5 pressure and manipulation upon the total membership of 193, not to speak of the wide swath of civil society opinion and activism for a woman Secretary-General.”

I went on to ring the alarm bell by cautioning that “It is so very unfortunate that in the selection process politics has trumped women’s equality, violating UN Charter’s Article 8 which underscores the eligibility and equality of men and women to participate in any capacity in all its organs – principal or subsidiary.”

In another opinion piece published on 20 June 2011, a little more than five years before the earlier one, titled “Ban’s Second Term: The Case for a Woman Secretary-General”, I wrote that “And the most important “reform” that is needed for the choice of the U.N. leader is in the mindset of the Member States.

At this point of time in human progress, it is a shame that in the 65 years (that was in 2011) of its existence, the U.N. was not able to elect a woman to lead. Not only that, but there has been no candidate even nominated to be considered for election.”

Continuing I wrote that “Notwithstanding all the U.N. resolutions, treaties, declarations and pronouncements asserting the equality of women, it is a pity that the U.N. has kept 50 percent of humanity out of consideration for its highest office. The organisation is undoubtedly poorer as it restricted its choice only to half of the potential candidates.”

I also added that “The suffering image and credibility of the U.N. in the eyes of the international community in recent years underscores the increasing need for effective and committed leadership that puts the organisation before self and is not solely triggered by ‘command-and-control’ mode.”

Coincidentally these words are increasingly valid at the present time. There are certain reality-checks which need to be kept in mind in connection with the election of a woman SG.

For example,

– In 2016, none of the P-5 has voted for a woman candidate when there were a number of accomplished ones to choose from.

– Geographic rotations among the five regions of the UN Member States for the SG’s nomination are NOT followed in the Security Council as it is done meticulously in the election of the President of the General Assembly. P-5 decides unilaterally.

– A Member State may publicly support a woman SG in principle but may decide to vote otherwise for political reasons. Secret ballot would not let us know how the country voted.

– Another accompanying reality is that a Member State may vote for a woman to begin with but changes the vote if its vote is needed for a decision in favour of a man. Again, secret ballots keep us in the dark.

– P-5 meets for coordination outside the UN premises more often than envisaged. SG’s election is a major issue needing such coordination.

Now the big question is how to ensure the election of a woman as the next UNSG considering all the known or hidden realities. Member States – and I mean all 193 of them, not just 15 belonging to the Security Council – need to fulfil their role and responsibility accorded to them by the UN Charter for the appointment of the UN SG.

I have three suggestions to offer:

First, easiest and most natural choice for getting a woman elected SG is for the Security Council to nominate the current Deputy Secretary-General, a woman, a staunch believer in the feminist principles, a competent, respected leader, acclaimed as the midwife of the SDGs and above all, knows well the workings of the Organization. In case you wonder about the name, she is Amina Mohammad hailing from Nigeria.

Second, In recent times, names of a number of women from the Latin America and the Caribbean regional Group (GRULAC) of the United Nations are being floated asserting that, according to rotational practice for the post of UNSG, it is the turn of that Group to provide the next UNSG.

That situation would facilitate election of a woman UNSG on two conditions, one, there has to be a unanimous agreement among the Security Council members that it is GRULAC’s turn; and two, the GRULAC members should decide to nominate ONLY women candidates to the SC. In that case, the choice for the SC is restricted to only women candidates from GRULAC.

And finally, probably an outrageous but, at the same time, still workable Third suggestion

If the none of the earlier suggestions work in getting a woman SG, the General Assembly, which decides upon recommendation of the Security Council, should, by a big majority, reject the “man” candidate nominated by the SC.

Thereafter, the SC is likely to deliberate and assess the situation and hopefully change its nomination to a woman. If the SC nominates another “man“ again, the GA should reject that nomination by vote again forcing the SC to change, at the end, its nomination to a woman.

To get a sizable majority from the General Assembly Member States, the civil society need to lobby and mobilize more and more countries to vote for the General Assembly’s action for a woman SG.

I have in mind the model of the civil society campaign that Jody Williams and the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), later awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997, mobilized for the Landmines Ban Treaty* as the governments failed to agree.

This unconventional and untried last suggestion is a potential game-changer. A firm, united and determined assertion by the UN General Assembly of its Charter-mandated role to appoint the UN SG can bring back the lost credibility of the UN by electing a woman as its next leader after eight decades of aberration.

* The Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction of 1997, known informally as the Ottawa Treaty or the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention.

Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury was also the initiator of the Security Council resolution 1325 as the Council President in March 2000 underscoring women’s equality of participation; President/Chairman of the UNICEF Executive Board on two occasions; and a well-known analyst of the UN system’s work.

IPS UN Bureau

 


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Excerpt:

Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury is former Under-Secretary-General and High Representative of the UN and Chairman of the UN’s Administrative and Budgetary Committee in 1997-1998 that approved Kofi Annan’s first reform budget.