UN holds second vote to determine the succession of António Guterres
The United Nations Security Council is at a crucial stage in its selection process. This Friday, the 15 members of the body are meeting behind closed doors to conduct a second “indicative vote,” with the aim of evaluating the eight candidates aspiring to occupy the General Secretariat following the departure of António Guterres, whose term concludes on December 31st.
The voting process is carried out in an anonymous format, where each Council member must rate the applicants with the options of “supports”, “does not support”, or “no opinion”. This exercise seeks to measure the level of consensus within a body that is currently undergoing deep internal divisions.
Latin America seeks to lead the organization
There is a strong movement, supported by the tradition of geographical rotation, for the next UN leadership to fall to a representative from Latin America. This trend is reflected in the composition of the list of candidates, where the majority of the aspirants come from this region. Likewise, various sectors are pushing for a woman to take the reins of the organization for the first time in history.
Outstanding applicants
Following a first round held on July 30, Costa Rican Rebeca Grynspan, the current director of UNCTAD, positioned herself as the favorite by obtaining the highest number of favorable votes. The race is highly competitive and features high-profile diplomatic figures:
- Rebeca Grynspan (Costa Rica)
- Michelle Bachelet (Chile)
- Rafael Grossi (Argentina)
- Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett (Guyana)
- María Fernanda Espinosa (Ecuador)
- Ivonne A-Baki (Ecuador)
- Olara Otunnu (Uganda)
- Macky Sall (Senegal)
The international community keeps its eyes on this process, hoping that the election reflects a balance between diplomatic experience and the need for a new vision for the global challenges that Guterres’ successor will face.
The result of this day will be decisive in clarifying the political landscape within the Security Council and moving towards the final election of who will lead the UN in the coming years.
