UN Security Council Holds Third Straw Poll; Rebeca Grynspan Leads Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett

The UN Security Council held its third straw poll on candidates for the next UN secretary-general on Friday, with France’s rotating presidency for September and Jerome Bonnafont, the UN ambassador of France, telling reporters after the secret vote that "the third round of straw polls has taken place."

“the third round of straw polls has taken place”

AFP

In the leaked results described by Reuters, former Costa Rican Vice President Rebeca Grynspan received nine "encourage" votes, five "discourage" votes and one no opinion, narrowly leading Guyana’s UN Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett, who received eight "encourage" votes, six "discourage" votes and one no opinion.R

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Reuters said the third secret poll came ahead of the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations in New York next week, and that eight candidates are vying to succeed Antonio Guterres, who steps down at the end of the year after two five-year terms.R

The process is an informal closed-door vote used to determine viability, and candidates need at least 9 votes in favor and must avoid a veto from any of the five permanent Council members, according to Myanmar International TV.

AFP reported that no results had yet emerged from the secret indicative vote, but that Bonnafont said only "the third round of straw polls has taken place."A

As the race continues, Reuters quoted International Crisis Group’s Richard Gowan saying neither Grynspan nor Rodrigues Birkett seem to be able to make a decisive breakthrough and that "it is time for some the weaker candidates to bow out of the race."R

AFP said the Security Council’s secret process took more than one hour and that France’s envoy Jerome Bonnafont, the rotating President, told reporters only that "the third round of straw polls has taken place."A

AFP

PassBlue reported that the results of the Sept. 18 poll do not reveal whether discouragement came from any of the Council’s five veto-wielding members, and it said a successful candidate will need to secure not only 9 encourage votes but no veto from a permanent member.

The National said the US has not publicly backed a candidate and quoted a US State Department official urging contenders to get the UN "back to basics and publicly commit to the changes we require."

Reuters also said the five Security Council veto powers — the United States, China, Russia, France and Britain — need to agree on a candidate, and that when Guterres was chosen in 2016 it took six straw polls for the Security Council to reach agreement.R

Multiple outlets tied the next steps to the UN General Assembly high-level week in New York, with Reuters saying the third straw poll came ahead of the annual gathering next week and with AFP noting world leaders were preparing to gather for the annual signature event.

“Grossi had a very bad day. His opposition increased significantly”

Geneva Solutions

PassBlue said the race has not produced a definitive front-runner and that member states speculate about possible last-minute entrants that the Council can coalesce behind, while also noting that the Council has yet to move to color-coded ballots.

Reuters reported that the Security Council will eventually formally recommend a candidate to the 193-member General Assembly for election, and that approval by the assembly has long been seen as a rubber stamp.R

Geneva Solutions said the third straw poll failed to reveal a clear favourite and quoted Daniel Safran-Hon saying "Grossi had a very bad day. His opposition increased significantly," as it described how Grynspan and Rodrigues Birkett remained at the top while other candidates lagged.

In the same Reuters account, Gowan said the figures may encourage additional candidates waiting in the wings to jump into the race, as the Security Council is expected to continue holding straw polls for several more rounds.R