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The United Nations Security Council held its second informal 'straw poll' on Friday to assess support for candidates hoping to become the UN's next secretary-general, as the race to succeed António Guterres reached a critical stage.
Guterres, who has served two 5 year mandates, will leave office at the end of 2026. The eventual replacement will take command in 2027. The 15-member Security Council will nominate a candidate to the General Assembly, which will officially appoint the secretary-general.
Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica emerged as the frontrunner in the first poll, which took place on July 30. Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett of Guyana and Rafael Grossi of Argentina were also standout performers.
The field has now swelled to eight candidates, with Ecuadorian diplomat Ivonne Baki joining the race. Other candidates include former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, Ecuadorian Foreign Minister María Fernanda Espinosa, Senegalese President Macky Sall, and Ugandan diplomat Olara Otunnu.
Although informal ballots are secret and non-binding, they can reveal which candidates have enough support to remain competitive. Candidates must also avoid vetoes from any of the Security Council's five permanent members: the United States, Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom.
The new UN secretary-general is expected to be appointed later this year, thus the selection process could last several months. The campaign has also increased the likelihood of the UN appointing its first female secretary-general after eight decades of male leadership.
