The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) held its second informal poll on Friday to select the next UN Secretary-General, with results showing Guyana's Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett emerging as the frontrunner among eight candidates.
According to results released after the vote, Rodrigues Birkett received 8 "encourage" votes, 3 "discourage" votes, and 4 members abstained. Closely trailing her were Costa Rican diplomat Rebeca Grynspan and Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from Argentina, each receiving 7 "encourage" votes. However, Grossi received as many as 6 "discourage" votes, while Grynspan had only 4. In the first round of voting in July, Grynspan had topped the list.
Beyond the top three, other candidates include former Senegalese President Macky Sall, former President of the UN General Assembly Maria Fernanda Espinosa (Ecuador), former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, Ugandan diplomat Olara Otunnu, and Ecuadorian diplomat Ivonne A-Baki.
Current UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has held the position since 2017, but his second five-year term ends on December 31. Although there is no official term limit, no one has ever served more than two terms in this role.
The informal poll is conducted behind closed doors to gauge support among the 15 Security Council members, gradually narrowing the list before a formal recommendation is made to the UN General Assembly, which typically rubber-stamps the Council's choice. A candidate needs at least 9 favorable votes in the formal ballot to advance, and any of the five permanent members (U.S., China, France, Russia, UK) can veto a candidate.
Multiple informal polls may take place. In later rounds, permanent members use differently colored ballots to reveal whether a candidate has received "discourage" votes from them.
The next Secretary-General will face the challenge of maintaining the UN's stature, which has declined in recent years. Critics argue that the organization, founded after World War II, has failed to prevent or end conflicts and crises worldwide, including Israel's genocidal war in Gaza and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
