UN Security Council to hold first poll in race to replace Guterres

The United Nations Security Council is set to begin the process of selecting a successor to Secretary-General António Guterres, who steps down at the end of the year. Seven candidates from Africa and Latin America are currently in the running, facing an initial round of informal, non-binding straw poll ballots on Thursday.

The candidates, hailing from Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guyana, Senegal, and Uganda, aim to replace Guterres after his two five-year terms. The new secretary-general will inherit an organization grappling with a crisis of declining stature and facing increasing pressure to reform its bloated bureaucracy and reduce duplication across its numerous agencies.

These straw polls are designed to gauge support among the Security Council's 15 members, who will cast secret ballots indicating whether they "encourage," "discourage," or have "no opinion" on each candidate. Historically, these early rounds are used to assess overall support without revealing specific opposition, especially from the five permanent, veto-wielding members: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Later stages may involve different colored ballots to identify potential vetoes.

With no clear front-runner, the process is expected to be lengthy, potentially requiring multiple rounds of polling throughout the summer. Historical precedent suggests a conclusion in late September or early October, contingent on the emergence of a consensus candidate. The Security Council will ultimately recommend a candidate to the UN General Assembly through a resolution, which requires at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes.