UN Security Council holds 2nd straw poll on secretary-general candidates

What the report says

The UN Security Council held its second informal straw poll on Friday to gauge support for candidates to succeed Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, according to Xinhua via The Independent Uganda. Denmark’s UN ambassador, Christina Markus Lassen, said the round had concluded and that the candidates would be informed through the member states that nominated them. She also said the president of the UN General Assembly would be notified once the poll was complete.

The article notes that these closed-door ballots are used to narrow the field and help the Council decide whom to recommend to the General Assembly for appointment, as required under Article 97 of the UN Charter. The results are not publicly released, and Lassen did not disclose how any candidate performed. The report says eight people were believed to be on the ballot.

Those named in the race include former ministers, diplomats and heads of international institutions: Ivonne A-Baki, Michelle Bachelet, Maria Fernanda Espinosa, Rafael Grossi, Rebeca Grynspan, Olara Otunnu, Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett and Macky Sall. The current secretary-general’s term ends on December 31. The process matters because it is the main step toward selecting the UN’s next top official, a role that shapes the organization’s global agenda.