UN Security Council Polls: Grynspan Leads in Race for Secretary-General

UNCTAD Chief Takes the Lead

United Nations, July 31: Rebecca Grynspan, the head of UNCTAD, has emerged as the frontrunner in the informal Security Council poll for the next secretary-general. Former Guyana Foreign Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett has unexpectedly secured the second position, as reported by diplomatic sources.

In the straw poll conducted on Thursday, Grynspan, who previously served as Costa Rica's vice president, garnered ten positive votes, one negative, and four neutral votes, according to the tally from 1 for 8 Billion (1f8B), an organization advocating for transparent elections.

Rodrigues-Birkett followed closely with nine positive votes, two negative, and four neutral among the seven candidates.

Although Council President Zenon Mukongo refrained from revealing the results, diplomats shared the tally with various news outlets, which was compiled by 1f8B, representing numerous civil society organizations.

The Security Council is responsible for recommending a candidate to the General Assembly, which traditionally endorses the recommendation to finalize the election.

Secret straw polls are utilized to gauge the support levels for candidates within the 15-member Council.

The polling process will persist until a candidate achieves consensus among the five permanent members of the Council, ensuring that the US, Russia, and China do not oppose the nominee.

While the specific countries are not disclosed, the final rounds of polling involve color-coded ballots to identify candidates that may face a veto.

According to reports, the ballots offer three options for each candidate: Encourage, Discourage, and No Opinion, which correspond to positive, negative, and neutral votes.

It remains unclear whether Grynspan or Rodrigues-Birkett received any negative votes from permanent members, as Thursday's poll did not differentiate ballots for them.

International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Grossi from Argentina ranked third, while former UN Human Rights High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet, a former president of Chile, followed closely.

Both Grossi and Bachelet have faced criticism from the US and Russia.

Grossi received two 'discourage' votes for his criticism of Russia's actions at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine and his disagreements with the US regarding Iran's nuclear capabilities.

Bachelet, who faced five negative votes, has been vocal about human rights violations in various countries, particularly targeting Russia, China, and US ally Israel, which has led to strong pushback.

Former Senegal President Macky Sall, lacking support from his country, was next in line.

Despite being near the bottom, Maria Fernanda Espinosa, a former president of the General Assembly and Ecuador's foreign minister, remains a contender, having received only two 'discourage' votes and eight 'no opinion' votes, indicating potential for gaining further support.

Grynspan, Rodrigues-Birkett, and Espinosa may benefit from a growing sentiment favoring the appointment of a woman as secretary-general after 80 years of the UN's existence, especially since no Latin American has held the position since Javier Perez de Cuellar left in 1991.

Olara Otunnu, a former UN under-secretary-general and Uganda's foreign minister, announced his candidacy just last week but finished last in the poll.