Rebeca Grynspan Leads UN Secretary-General Straw Polls
Rebeca Grynspan emerged as the frontrunner to become the next UN Secretary-General following a series of informal Security Council polls.
The United Nations Security Council conducted an informal straw poll on September 29 that positioned Rebeca Grynspan, the former Vice President of Costa Rica, as the leading candidate to become the 10th UN Secretary-General. This latest vote is the fourth secret poll held since July, with Grynspan leading in three of the four contests.
Seven candidates are competing to succeed António Guterres, who will step down at the end of the year after completing two five-year terms. While Grynspan currently holds the lead, Guyana UN Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett previously placed first in the August poll.
The selection process requires a consensus among the five permanent Security Council members—the United States, China, Russia, France, and Britain—who hold veto power. Once the Security Council agrees on a candidate, it will send a formal recommendation to the 193-member General Assembly for the final election.
