UN Security Council to hold key vote on Guterres successor

The UN Security Council will hold a second round of informal voting on Friday to select the next secretary-general, amid sharp divisions among its members. Three men and five women are competing to succeed Portugal’s Antonio Guterres, whose second term ends on December 31, 2026.

The Council’s 15 members will meet in a closed session from 10 a.m., evaluating candidates with the options of “encourage,” “discourage,” or “no opinion,” while keeping individual votes confidential. In the first round on July 30, Rebecca Grynspan, former vice president of Costa Rica and current head of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), received the most support.

Daniel Forti of the International Crisis Group predicted that voting results could shift in this round, noting the process aims to identify a preferred candidate and eliminate others, which may prompt some to withdraw after the vote. The vote comes as the UN faces major challenges, including declining multilateralism, Council divisions, and growing financial difficulties.

The UN is under pressure from former US President Donald Trump, who has questioned its role and funding, impacting its ability to address major conflicts and threatening its humanitarian and peacekeeping operations. To secure the nomination, a candidate must win support from at least nine of the 15 Council members, with no veto from any of the five permanent members.

Once this stage is cleared, the candidate’s name is forwarded to the General Assembly for confirmation. By geographic tradition, the next secretary-general is expected to come from Latin America, with growing calls for a woman to hold the post for the first time. Grynspan led the first round ahead of Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett of Guyana and Rafael Grossi of Argentina.

The field also includes Michelle Bachelet of Chile, María Fernanda Espinosa of Ecuador, Olara Otunnu of Uganda, Macky Sall of Senegal, and Ivonne A-Baki of Ecuador, who has Lebanese roots. Despite Grossi’s prominence, observers say the race remains open, especially as the permanent members have not declared their preferences and new candidates could still emerge, according to Russia’s permanent representative Vasily Nebenzya.