United Nations Security Council to hold informal polls for new UN chief from Thursday

What the report says

The Times of India/Economic Times, citing Reuters, reported that the United Nations Security Council is set to begin closed-door informal voting on Thursday to gauge support for candidates seeking to become the next UN secretary-general. The initial “straw poll” will cover seven declared contenders as the council starts the process of choosing a successor to Antonio Guterres of Portugal, whose second five-year term ends at the close of the year.

The reported candidates are Rafael Grossi of Argentina, who heads the UN nuclear watchdog; former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet; former Costa Rican vice president Rebeca Grynspan; former Ecuadorian foreign minister Maria Fernanda Espinosa; former Guyanese foreign minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett; former Senegalese president Macky Sall; and Ugandan diplomat Olara Otunnu. The article noted that more contenders may still enter the race.

In these early ballots, the 15 Security Council members indicate whether they encourage, discourage or have no opinion on each candidate. The votes are secret and non-binding, but they help reveal who has broad backing. Later rounds can show whether opposition comes from one of the five permanent members — China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom or the United States — any of which can block a recommendation.

The council must eventually recommend one candidate to the 193-member General Assembly, a decision that requires at least nine council votes and no permanent-member veto. The report said there is no clear front-runner and that past practice suggests several rounds could run through the summer, potentially into late September or early October. The choice matters because the next secretary-general will inherit pressure to reform the UN and strengthen an institution facing questions about cost, duplication and global influence.