Grynspan edges ahead in third UN Secretary-General straw poll

An informal United Nations Security Council poll on Friday placed former Costa Rican Vice President Rebeca Grynspan as the narrow frontrunner in the race to become the 10th UN secretary-general, diplomats and other sources close to the process said.

The third secret straw poll by the 15-member Security Council was held ahead of the annual gathering of world leaders at UN headquarters in New York next week, according to Reuters.

Grynspan narrowly led the first poll in July, while Guyana’s UN Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett emerged as the frontrunner in the second vote last month.

Eight candidates are currently seeking to succeed Antonio Guterres, who will step down at the end of this year after two five-year terms. Additional candidates can still enter the race.

Richard Gowan, director of global issues and institutions at the International Crisis Group, said neither Grynspan nor Rodrigues Birkett appeared able to make a decisive breakthrough and "it is time for some the weaker candidates to bow out of the race."

"I think these figures may encourage any additional candidates who are waiting in the wings to jump into the race quite soon," Gowan said.

Ultimately, the five permanent Security Council members with veto power — the United States, China, Russia, France and Britain — must agree on a candidate. When Guterres was selected in 2016, the Security Council conducted six straw polls before reaching an agreement.

The Security Council will eventually formally recommend a candidate to the 193-member General Assembly for election. Approval by the General Assembly has long been regarded as a formality.

In the Security Council straw polls, which are expected to continue for several more rounds, members vote by secret ballot on whether they "encourage," "discourage" or have "no opinion" about each candidate.

Grynspan received nine "encourage" votes, five "discourage" votes and one "no opinion." Rodrigues Birkett received eight "encourage," six "discourage" and one "no opinion," diplomats and sources close to the process said.

In the more than 80-year history of the United Nations, no woman has served as secretary-general.

Uganda’s Olara Otunnu, a diplomat and former UN under-secretary-general, received five "encourage," seven "discourage" and three "no opinion" votes. Argentina’s Rafael Grossi, director general of the UN nuclear watchdog, received five "encourage," eight "discourage" and two "no opinion" votes.

Senegal’s former president Macky Sall received five "encourage," nine "discourage" and one "no opinion" vote.

Maria Fernanda Espinosa, a former Ecuadorean foreign and defence minister and former president of the UN General Assembly, received three "encourage," six "discourage" and six "no opinion" votes.

Michelle Bachelet, a two-time president of Chile and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, received one "encourage," 11 "discourage" and three "no opinion" votes.

Ecuadorean diplomat Ivonne Baki received no "encourage" votes, 10 "discourage" votes and five "no opinion" votes.

By Tamilla Hasanova