USA18 September, 20263 min read
Rebeca Grynspan Holds Lead After Security Council Fifth Informal Vote
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Grynspan leads the Security Council's fifth informal vote for UN secretary-general. Rodrigues-Birkett remains close behind as the main challenger.
Grynspan leads, gridlock persists
Rebeca Grynspan remained the frontrunner in the UN secretary-general race after the Security Council’s fifth informal vote on Wednesday, October 7, with Reuters reporting that she received 9 “encouraging” votes, 6 “disapproving” and none of “no opinion.” The Security Council followed days of negotiations in New York after four previous ballots did not produce a candidate with overwhelming backing. Daniel Safran-Hon told Reuters that “she still has the nine votes necessary to get the job,” while the support for Grynspan weakened slightly compared with the previous vote.
“Grynspan obtained 9 ‘encouraging’ votes, 6 ‘disapproving’ and none of ‘no opinion.’”
The selection is taking place at a critical time for the 193-member body, with wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, cutbacks in American contributions, and the UN’s declining political relevance as Washington has pulled out of many of its agencies. The five veto powers are the United States, China, Russia, France, and Britain, and the Security Council had not yet conducted a formal recommendation vote or faced a veto against Grynspan.
Votes leak, veto math unclear
El Mundo CR said the fifth round was conducted by a secret, informal vote among the 15 members of the Security Council, and it reported that the results do not publicly reveal which country cast each vote because ballots do not yet differentiate between the five permanent members and the ten elected members. El Mundo CR added that Security Council Report had noted that members were still using ballots that do not distinguish between permanent and elected members, while it said “The so-called color ballots would allow identifying whether a candidacy faces opposition from any of the five permanent members.” The Security Council members are asked on secret ballots if they “encourage,” “discourage” or have “no opinion” on candidates, and Grynspan received 9 encourage votes, 6 discourage and 0 no opinion.
The ballots do not yet show which country cast each vote, and the weakening of Grynspan’s support suggests ongoing gridlock. El Mundo CR said the process provides that the Security Council must recommend a candidate and then the UN General Assembly must appoint, with a formal Council vote requiring at least nine votes in favor and the backing of the five permanent members.
Next steps and what is at risk
The next secretary-general will be the 10th person to hold the post, and Antonio Guterres will step down at the end of this year after two five-year terms. The next secretary-general will take office on January 1, 2027, and for now Grynspan remains the leader in the race but the six votes against keep the contest open. The impasse could prompt other senior figures to join the race, and diplomats at the UN are considering throwing their hats into the ring.
“The next secretary-general will take office on January 1, 2027.”
The Security Council has not yet conducted a formal recommendation vote and there has been no veto against Grynspan, while the fifth vote shows that Security Council members have not yet reached a consensus. Whoever wins will have to tackle multiple crises, including wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, cutbacks in American contributions, and the UN’s declining political relevance as Washington has pulled out of many of its agencies.