UN Security Council holds first straw poll for next secretary-general
Photo: UN General Assembly (Getty Images)
The UN Security Council held its first informal straw poll on candidates for the position of the next Secretary-General of the organization, according to the UN website and The National.
What is known about the unofficial results
According to The National, the leader of the informal vote was Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica, who received 10 encourage votes. She was followed by Guyana's UN Permanent Representative Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett with 9 votes, and third place went to IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi with 7 votes.
Straw polls are an unofficial procedure in which Security Council members indicate whether they "encourage," "discourage," or have no opinion on a candidate. Such votes allow for an assessment of the level of support for contenders, but their results are not officially published.
How the selection process works
According to Article 97 of the UN Charter, the Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council. During the straw polls, the Security Council determines the candidate it will recommend to the General Assembly for approval.
Who is running for the position?
Seven candidates are vying for the position of UN head:
- Michelle Bachelet – former President of Chile, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights;
- María Fernanda Espinosa – former President of the UN General Assembly, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defense of Ecuador;
- Rafael Mariano Grossi – Director General of the IAEA (Argentina);
- Rebeca Grynspan – Secretary-General of UNCTAD, former Vice President of Costa Rica;
- Olara Otunnu – former Deputy Secretary-General of the UN (Uganda);
- Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett – Permanent Representative of Guyana to the UN;
- Macky Sall – former President of Senegal.
The successor to António Guterres, whose second five-year term ends on December 31, will have to lead the organization's renewal, writes The National.
Among the unexpected candidates, a figure outside the official list of contenders was previously mentioned. According to the NY Post, Trump was considering FIFA President Gianni Infantino as a candidate for the UN Secretary-General position.
Also recently, the UN Security Council convened for an emergency meeting over Russian shelling of civilian vessels in the Black Sea – according to the organization's assessment, the situation regarding food security due to these attacks has become critical.
