The contest to replace António Guterres as United Nations secretary-general has entered an uncertain stage, with three rounds of Security Council straw polls failing to produce a clear frontrunner and additional names being discussed as possible late entrants.
Guterres is due to leave office on 31 December, with his successor scheduled to begin in January. The selection comes as the UN faces a cost-cutting programme and continuing pressure over its role in major international crises.
The Security Council has 15 members. Under the UN Charter, substantive decisions require nine votes and the support of the permanent members, meaning a candidate can be blocked by a veto from China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom or the United States.
In the latest straw poll, Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan received nine “encourage” votes, five “discourage” votes and one “no opinion”. Guyana’s Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett received eight encourage votes, while her discourage votes rose to six.
Ecuador’s María Fernanda Espinosa remained in contention despite receiving six discourage votes in the latest poll, according to the Guardian. Michelle Bachelet, a former president of Chile, withdrew from the contest after receiving one encourage vote in the latest round.
The formal UN process lists candidates nominated by member states and provides information including their vision statements and curriculum vitae. The process has included meetings with Security Council members and straw polls.
Several other names have been discussed as possible late entrants, including UAE minister of state Lana Nusseibeh, former UN official Sigrid Kaag, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, former Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán and former UN General Assembly president Vuk Jeremić. None of the people mentioned as possible late entrants has publicly indicated that they want to enter the contest, according to the Guardian.
The race also comes amid wider debate about representation at the top of the UN. A communiqué from the Brics summit noted that no woman has previously held the secretary-general position and highlighted the limited representation of different regions among past officeholders.
The selection is taking place against a backdrop of divisions among the five permanent Security Council members. The Guardian reported that the eventual outcome could depend heavily on whether the major powers can reach an acceptable consensus around a candidate.
Australia By Aussie previously reported on Guterres’s final General Assembly address and his warning about the limits facing major powers at the UN. Read the earlier report on Guterres and the UN’s global role.
The final choice will require the Security Council to recommend a candidate to the General Assembly, where the appointment is then formally made. Until that process is completed, the field remains subject to further negotiations and changes.
Source: The Guardian
