Rebecca Griesspan, former Vice President of Costa Rica and President of the UN Conference on Trade and Development, reinforced her lead in the race for the Secretary-General position of the organization with 12 positive votes in the eighth poll of the UN Security Council. This figure is three votes more than her closest competitor and is, in fact, her widest margin in the election stages so far.
Poll Details and Main Competitors
In this poll, Griesspan received three negative votes and no abstentions. This number of positive votes is her highest in previous polls; in the last round held on October 30, she received 11 positive votes and four negative votes. Griesspan, who is 70 years old, was born in Costa Rica to Polish parents. She earned her bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Costa Rica and her master's degree from the University of Sussex in England.
In this poll, Rafael Grossi from Argentina came in second with 9 positive votes, 4 negative votes, and 2 abstentions. Caroline Rodriguez-Birkett from Guyana ranked third with 8 positive votes, 5 negative votes, and 2 abstentions. Meanwhile, Lana Nusseibeh from the United Arab Emirates placed fourth with 7 positive votes and 6 negative votes, while Fereydoun Sinirlioglu from Turkey, who recently entered the race, came in sixth with 3 positive votes and 8 negative votes.
Implications of the UN Secretary-General Election
The election of a new Secretary-General of the UN is of great importance, and in this regard, the pressure to elect a woman to this position has significantly increased. According to the informal regional rotation practice, the next Secretary-General is expected to come from Latin America or the Caribbean. This issue is also seen as an opportunity to reconsider the UN's policies in various areas, including human rights and global security.
Nusseibeh, the UAE Minister of State, was nominated on October 21 and has served as her country's ambassador to the UN from 2013 to 2024. She is the first woman to hold this position. Sinirlioglu, an experienced Turkish diplomat, was nominated on November 1 and heads the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.
The election of the new Secretary-General is conducted based on the recommendation of the Security Council by the General Assembly. Security Council members express their support for candidates through informal voting. A candidate must receive at least 9 positive votes and no vetoes from permanent members to obtain the Security Council's recommendation.
Antonio Guterres's second term as UN Secretary-General will end on December 31, and his successor will begin their work on January 1, 2027.
