Grynspan Edges Ahead in Third UN Security Council Straw Poll
Rebeca Grynspan has emerged as the narrow frontrunner in the third informal UN Security Council poll on the next secretary-general.
Former Costa Rican vice president Rebeca Grynspan has taken a narrow lead in the race to become the next United Nations secretary-general, according to diplomats and sources familiar with the process.
The development came during a third round of informal voting by the 15-member UN Security Council, held behind closed doors on Friday. The first secret ballot in July had also placed Grynspan slightly ahead, while a second poll last month saw Guyana's UN ambassador, Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett, move into the narrow lead.
Eight candidates are competing to replace Antonio Guterres, who will step down at the end of this year after serving two five-year terms.
Any successful candidate must ultimately secure the backing of the council's five veto-wielding members — the United States, China, Russia, France and Britain. Once the Security Council formally recommends a nominee, the 193-member General Assembly is expected to endorse the choice, a step that has long been treated as a formality.
The winner would become the tenth secretary-general in the world body's history.