New York: Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called for a woman to succeed Antonio Guterres as United Nations Secretary-General in his address to the General Assembly on Wednesday.
"The time has come for a woman from Latin America to serve as Secretary-General of the United Nations," Sánchez said.
"This is a historic debt we must settle," he added.
Nine men have held the position of Secretary-General in the UN's 80-year history, Sánchez said, arguing that the time had come for a woman to lead the organisation.
Eight candidates are vying to succeed Guterres, who steps down at the end of this year after two five-year terms.
Sanchez also defended his government's refusal to commit to NATO's target of spending 5 per cent of GDP on defence.
He said Spain had opposed wars of aggression, including in Ukraine, Lebanon and Iran, and had increased its contribution to the multilateral system.