UN Secretary-General Race: Costa Rican Candidate Leads Latest Straw Poll
The race for the next United Nations Secretary-General has advanced with a new round of informal voting by the Security Council members. While not a decisive vote, the process allows the 15 council members to indicate their support, opposition, or abstention for each candidate, revealing shifting alliances and momentum.
In the latest round, Rebecca Grynspan of Costa Rica emerged as the frontrunner, securing 9 votes in favor, 5 against, and 1 abstention. She was closely followed by Caroline Rodriguez Beraky of Guyana, who received 8 votes for, 6 against, and 1 abstention.
Other candidates showed varying levels of support. Ugandan candidate Olara Otunnu garnered 5 votes for and 7 against, while Rafael Grossi of Argentina received 5 for and 8 against. Macky Sall of Senegal had 5 for and 9 against. Maria Fernanda Espinosa of Ecuador obtained 3 votes for and 6 against, with 6 abstentions. Michelle Bachelet of Chile received only 1 vote for and 11 against, and Ivonne Bakie of Ecuador garnered no support, with 10 against and 5 abstentions.
This latest poll indicates a shift from previous rounds. In the vote held four weeks prior, Rodriguez Beraky led with 8 favorable votes. In late July, Grynspan also led with 10 votes in favor.
Israel's Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, commented on the vote, noting that none of the candidates have yet presented a detailed plan to combat antisemitism within the organization. He urged candidates to propose concrete strategies to eradicate this issue, stating, "The antisemitic celebration that expanded during Guterres's term must not be repeated in the next term. I appeal to the various candidates and encourage them to present a detailed plan to uproot the phenomenon from its roots. Antisemitism at the UN is a disease that must be eradicated."
