Former Costa Rican Vice President Rebeca Grynspan has emerged as the early frontrunner in the race to become the next United Nations Secretary-General after receiving the strongest backing in the first informal Security Council straw poll.
Diplomats said Grynspan received 10 “encourage” votes in the non-binding ballot held on Thursday, ahead of former Guyanese Foreign Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, who secured nine, while Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi of Argentina, received seven.
The candidates are seeking to succeed Secretary-General António Guterres, whose second five-year term ends later this year.
The informal straw polls allow the 15-member Security Council to gauge support for candidates through secret ballots in which members indicate whether they “encourage”, “discourage” or have “no opinion” on each nominee. Several rounds of voting are expected before a final candidate is selected.
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According to diplomats, Grynspan received one “discourage” vote and four “no opinion” votes. Rodrigues-Birkett received two “discourage” votes and four “no opinion” votes, while Grossi secured two “discourage” votes and six “no opinion” votes.
At this stage of the process, all Security Council members cast identical ballots, meaning it is not possible to determine whether any negative vote came from one of the Council’s five permanent members, China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States whose backing is essential for any successful candidate.
Later rounds will use different-coloured ballots for the permanent members, making it clear whether a candidate has received opposition from a veto-wielding state.
Other contenders include former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, former Ecuadorian Foreign Minister María Fernanda Espinosa, former Senegalese President Macky Sall and Ugandan diplomat Olara Otunnu.
Bachelet received six “encourage” votes, five “discourage” votes and four “no opinion” votes. Sall secured six “encourage” votes, seven “discourage” votes and two “no opinion” votes. Espinosa received five “encourage” votes, two “discourage” votes and eight “no opinion” votes, while Otunnu secured two “encourage” votes, five “discourage” votes and eight “no opinion” votes.
Speaking after the vote, United States Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said the selection process remained confidential.
“We’ll let the process play out. We need a Secretary-General that is going to reform this institution, that is going to make it leaner, more fit for purpose and more relevant on the international stage,” Waltz said.
Diplomats described Grynspan’s performance as encouraging, although they cautioned that the outcome will depend on whether any opposition comes from one of the permanent members. Others noted that Rodrigues-Birkett’s strong showing made her a serious contender, while some said the first ballot revealed no clear consensus among Council members.
