UNITED NATIONS, The United Nations Security Council on Thursday formally began the process of selecting the next UN Secretary-General, holding its first informal straw poll to measure support for the seven candidates competing to succeed António Guterres.
Guterres, who has served two consecutive five-year terms, will leave office on December 31, 2026, ending a decade at the helm of the United Nations.
Seven candidates are currently in the race, including four women and three men. They are:
- Michelle Bachelet (Chile)
- Maria Fernanda Espinosa (Ecuador)
- Rafael Grossi (Argentina)
- Rebeca Grynspan (Costa Rica)
- Olara Otunnu (Uganda)
- Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett (Guyana)
- Macky Sall (Senegal)
If elected, one of the four female candidates could become the first woman ever to serve as United Nations Secretary-General.
Among the contenders, Rafael Grossi, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is regarded as the most internationally recognized candidate. However, diplomats and observers say there is no clear front-runner, and the selection process is expected to continue through multiple rounds of voting over the coming months.
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The Security Council’s straw polls are informal and confidential ballots that allow members to gauge the level of support for each candidate before formal voting begins.
To secure the nomination, a candidate must receive at least nine votes from the Council’s 15 members while avoiding a veto from any of the Council’s five permanent members—the United States, Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom.
The permanent members have not publicly revealed their preferred candidates, making the outcome highly unpredictable.
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Once the Security Council reaches consensus and adopts a recommendation, the successful candidate’s name will be forwarded to the 193-member UN General Assembly, which traditionally confirms the appointment.
