Figueres, last of 12 UN chief candidates, interviewed by General Assembly

Costa Rica's Christiana Figueres campaigned before the UN General Assembly on Thursday to succeed UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, who will retire on Jan. 1, 2017.

Having caught up with the other 11 announced candidates to be interviewed by members of the assembly, she billed herself as "not just a candidate but the candidate for gender parity," having become the sixth female candidate.

Figueres explained her late entry into the race saying she had to complete her obligations as UN climate change chief by July 6 before entering the campaign the following day.

During her appearance here Thursday, Figueres repeated her positions generally as articulated in the General Assembly Hall Tuesday in a globally televised town hall debate forum, but not an official session of the General Assembly, which comprises all 193 member states.

On this occasion, in response to a question about Islamaphobia, Figueres said she would be "very interested in engaging with religious leaders across the world."

The candidate said she was impressed with how religious leaders have been successful in "moving public opinion."

After her two hours were up, Figueres then met briefly with reporters outside the Economic and Social Council Chamber where the assembly session was held. When asked about the issue of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and its weaponry, she said "One of the long-standing challenges of the UN is actually a nuclear-free world and that is not where we are but it is one we have to continue to work towards."

Figueres said "It is an aspiration of humanity and one that certainly is being challenged but one that we just need to continue."

"We have to understand that in all of these processes -- because a lot of member states and you (reporters) also -- there is an understandable wish for the UN or the secretary-general to somehow be able to whip out a little magic wand and solve everything," she said.

"Honestly, if that little magic wand existed, we would all be much happier," the candidate said. "But that magical wand doesn't exist and we have to understand that as humanity we are on very many different journeys at the same time."

"Diplomacy is not about seeking perfection immediately," she said. "Diplomacy is about mitigating risk and finding incremental solutions along the way toward the final solution."

"With that in mind we have to approach nuclear disarmament having understood that we have had some gains but that we still have a long way to go," Figueres said.

The interview sessions were devised by the president of the General Assembly (PGA), Mogen Lykketoft, in a bid for transparency in the race.

The UN Charter only calls for the Security Council to recommend a candidate for the top UN job to the General Assembly for approval.

This time, the PGA organized two-hour interview sessions for all officially announced candidates, most of which were held in May and June. There is a preponderance of contestants from Eastern Europe since the region has not sent the world organization a secretary-general and there is a feeling among some member states it is time.

Also, there is a wide call for a woman UN chief while there also are states insisting only that the best candidate be chosen