United nations: The UN Security Council has conducted a second informal straw poll to assess the support for candidates vying to succeed Antonio Guterres as the next secretary-general of the United Nations. This latest poll indicates that Guyana's Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett currently holds a narrow lead in the race.
According to TRTworld.com, the second straw poll, held behind closed doors, provided new insights into the preferences of the 15-member Security Council. In the previous informal vote held last month, Costa Rica's Rebeca Grynspan had emerged as the front-runner. The field of candidates also includes notable figures such as Rafael Grossi of Argentina, the current head of the UN nuclear watchdog; former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet; Ecuador's Maria Fernanda Espinosa; Uganda's Olara Otunnu; and former Senegalese president Macky Sall. Additionally, Ecuador's Ivonne A-Baki has entered the race following the first straw poll.
The results of the straw poll are communicated to the candidates through the permanent representatives of their nominating member states. After the recent vote, Denmark's UN ambassador, Christina Lassen, who currently presides over the Council's rotating presidency, stated, "The Council is still considering when to hold the next straw poll." She added that it is "too early to have a consensus," a sentiment echoed by Zenon Ngay Mukongo, the Democratic Republic of Congo's ambassador to the UN.
Ahead of the latest poll, Daniel Forti of the International Crisis Group highlighted the strategic waiting game of five veto-wielding members-Britain, China, France, Russia, and the United States-hinting that they may not reveal their preferences until later in the process. Additionally, Russia's UN ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, suggested that more candidates could still join the race if a deadlock occurs among current contenders.
To gain the Security Council's recommendation, a candidate must secure at least nine out of 15 votes without any veto from the five permanent members. The successful candidate's name is then submitted to the UN General Assembly for confirmation. The straw poll mechanism, introduced in the early 1980s, persists despite criticisms over its lack of transparency, as it was originally designed to resolve deadlocks caused by vetoes.
The straw poll process involves member states anonymously categorizing each candidate as encourage, discourage, or no opinion, potentially prompting candidates with limited support to withdraw, although withdrawal is not mandatory. Initially, all ballots are the same color, but after several rounds, the ballots of the five permanent members are differentiated, allowing potential vetoes to be identified without disclosing the specific country responsible.
Traditionally, the position of UN secretary-general rotates among different regions, with Latin America considered next in line. This rotation adds another layer of intrigue as several candidates from the region are in the running, alongside candidates from other regions such as Senegal and Uganda.