Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett Leads Second UN Secretary-General Straw Poll

The United Nations Security Council conducted its second informal straw poll on Friday, August 21, 2026, to identify a successor for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, whose term expires on December 31, 2026. Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett of Guyana emerged as the new front-runner, receiving eight encourage votes, three discourage votes, and four no opinion votes.

Rodrigues-Birkett surpassed Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica, who led the first poll in July. While one source reports Grynspan and Rafael Grossi of Argentina tied for second with seven encourage votes each, another indicates Grynspan narrowly trailed Rodrigues-Birkett. Grossi remained in third place. New entrant Ivonne A-Baki of Ecuador received zero encourage votes and eight discourage votes.

To be nominated for General Assembly confirmation, a candidate must secure at least nine encourage votes from the 15 council members and avoid a veto from any of the five permanent members. Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia noted that the process remains fluid and suggested that new candidates could enter the race if the current field reaches a deadlock. Democratic Republic of Congo Ambassador Zenon Ngay Mukongo stated that it is too early to reach a consensus.