Rebeca Grynspan widens lead in latest UN chief poll
The former Costa Rican vice-president gained one encouraging vote in a closed-door Security Council ballot, but the tally does not reveal whether any permanent member opposes her.
Rebeca Grynspan strengthened her lead in the contest to become the next UN secretary-general, receiving 12 “encourage” votes in a closed-door Security Council straw poll on Thursday, November 5, at the United Nations. She gained one vote from the previous round, but the ballot did not disclose whether any of the council’s five permanent members opposed her.
The 15-member council’s poll gave Grynspan three “discourage” votes and no “no opinion” votes. Reuters reported that the tally was her strongest showing in eight closed-door ballots in recent months. Six of seven polls had placed her narrowly ahead; an August ballot put Guyana’s Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett in first place.
How the other UN secretary-general candidates fared
Argentina’s Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, placed second with nine encourage votes, four discourage votes and two marked no opinion, The National reported. Rodrigues-Birkett finished third with eight encourage votes. The United Arab Emirates’ Lana Nusseibeh received seven encourage, six discourage and two no-opinion votes, matching her result in the previous week’s poll, Reuters reported.
Turkey’s Feridun Sinirlioglu received three encourage votes, eight discourage votes and four no-opinion votes in his first appearance in the poll. Turkey nominated him on November 1. The National reported that he was scheduled to address the General Assembly on Friday and hold informal talks with Security Council members on November 9.
Why the informal ballot does not decide the appointment
The straw poll used undifferentiated ballots, so it did not show how the United States, Russia, China, France or the United Kingdom voted. In the formal selection process, a candidate needs at least nine positive votes and no discouragement from any of those five permanent members to secure the council’s recommendation, Reuters reported. A formal vote is expected once a candidate appears likely to prevail; the informal poll itself does not appoint the secretary-general.
The council is choosing a successor to Antonio Guterres, whose second five-year term ends in December. The informal expectation is that the post rotates among regions, with Latin America and the Caribbean next. Russia said it could consider candidates from outside the region if none of its nominees wins sufficient support, while maintaining that it is the region’s turn, The National reported.
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Sources and context
- Costa Rica’s Grynspan extends lead in race to become next UN secretary generalThe National
- Costa Rica's Grynspan extends lead in informal UN chief poll, sources sayReuters (republished by The Straits Times)
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.