Costa Rican Candidate Takes Lead in UN Chief Selection Process

The United Nations Security Council has initiated the selection process for its next secretary-general, with an initial poll placing Costa Rican candidate Rebeca Grynspan ahead of six other contenders. The 15 member states participated in a closed-door meeting to assign anonymous ratings of "recommend," "discourage," or "no opinion" to each aspirant.

Grynspan, 70, who previously served as Costa Rica's vice president and currently leads the UN's trade and development agency (UNCTAD), garnered the most favorable mentions, according to diplomatic sources. She outranked Guyana's former Foreign Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, 52, and the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Argentina's Rafael Grossi, 65. Other candidates include former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, Ecuador's María Fernanda Espinosa, Uganda's Olara Otunnu, and Senegal's Macky Sall.

This "indicative vote," designed to filter out non-viable candidates, marks the beginning of a selection that could span several months. While some have criticized the poll's lack of transparency, it aims to prevent the deadlock experienced in previous selections. The ultimate decision rests with the five permanent members of the Security Council, the United States, Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom, whose preferences remain unstated.

Latin America is vying for the position, reflected in the region's strong representation among the candidates. Concurrently, there is a significant push for the UN to be led by a woman for the first time in its history. António Guterres is set to conclude his second five-year term on December 31, 2026.