UN launches search for next secretary-general as first straw poll puts Grynspan ahead

The United Nations has begun the process of choosing its next secretary-general, opening a succession race that will determine who follows Antonio Guterres after a decade in office. The first informal Security Council straw poll has placed former Costa Rican Vice President Rebeca Grynspan in the lead, while several other candidates remain in contention. The vote marks the first clear procedural step in a contest that is expected to continue for weeks or longer.

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In the non-binding poll held by the 15-member Security Council, Grynspan received 10 votes to encourage her candidacy. Former Guyanese Foreign Minister Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett received nine encourage votes, while Rafael Grossi, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog, was in third place among the seven candidates. Council members cast secret ballots and can indicate whether they encourage, discourage or have no opinion on each contender.

The result does not decide the outcome, but it gives an early indication of how the race may develop. Support from the council's five permanent members with veto power - China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States - is considered essential. Multiple rounds of polling are expected, and historical precedent suggests the process could continue through the summer and into late September or early October if no consensus candidate emerges.

The succession comes at a time when the UN is under pressure to respond to spiralling global conflict, criticism from far-right populist movements and calls for institutional reform. The next secretary-general will inherit an organisation described by supporters as needing revitalisation and by critics as facing a decline in status. That makes the contest more than a personnel change, because the winner will shape how the UN approaches diplomacy, crisis management and reform debates.

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The field also includes former Senegalese President Macky Sall, former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, former Ecuadorean Foreign Minister Maria Fernanda Espinosa and Ugandan diplomat Olara Otunnu, who entered the race last week. The presence of candidates from different regions reflects the UN's long-standing effort to balance geographic representation with political acceptability in the Security Council. The process is being watched closely because the secretary-general must work with member states that are often divided on major international issues.

What remains unclear is whether the early lead for Grynspan will hold as further straw polls are held and permanent members signal their preferences. The next rounds will show whether one candidate can build enough support to emerge as a consensus choice. If not, the contest could extend into the autumn before the Security Council settles on a nominee for the General Assembly to consider.

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