UN Security Council Holds Second Poll for Secretary-General

The UN Security Council held a second straw poll to evaluate candidates for the next Secretary-General on Friday. Rebeca Grynspan from Costa Rica emerged as the front-runner after the first informal vote.

Other candidates include Rafael Grossi, the current head of the UN nuclear watchdog from Argentina, Michelle Bachelet from Chile, Maria Fernanda Espinosa from Ecuador, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett from Guyana, Olara Otunnu from Uganda, and Macky Sall from Senegal. Ivonne A-Baki from Ecuador entered the race following the first round.

The current Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, will complete his second five-year term on December 31, 2026. Daniel Forti from the International Crisis Group noted that the second poll may indicate the direction of the race, with fluctuations expected in candidate support.

Candidates need nine votes from the 15-member council and must avoid vetoes from the five permanent members: Britain, China, France, Russia, and the United States. The straw poll system was established in the early 1980s to resolve deadlocks.