UN holds second informal poll of secretary-general candidates

The United Nations Security Council conducted a second informal vote to assess the popularity of candidates vying for the position of the next Secretary-General of the UN. Costa Rica's Rebeca Grynspan emerged as the leading contender after the first informal poll last month. Other candidates include Argentina's Rafael Grossi, Chile's Michelle Bachelet, Ecuador's María Fernanda Espinosa, Guyana's Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Uganda's Olara Otunnu and Senegal's Macky Sall. Ivonne A-Baki of Ecuador also joined the race.

The candidates will be notified of the results through their respective permanent representatives from the nominating member states. The timing of the next straw poll remains undecided, with the Council considering when to proceed. The United States, Britain, France, Russia and China, who hold veto power, may choose to wait before making their preferences known. Russia's ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, indicated he could not rule out the possibility of additional candidates being considered.

If a candidate secures the necessary nine votes from the 15-member Security Council, they must also evade a veto from the five major powers. Once cleared, the candidate's name is forwarded to the UN General Assembly for confirmation. The informal voting process was established in the 1980s to overcome deadlocks caused by vetoes.

After the vote, each member state anonymously selects one of three labels for each candidate: encourage, discourage, or no opinion. This allows candidates with no support to withdraw, although it is not mandatory. Traditionally, the role of Secretary-General rotates among different regions, with Latin America expected to hold the position this time around.