Eight Candidates Vie to Succeed António Guterres as UN Secretary-General
As António Guterres's term as UN secretary-general concludes in December, eight contenders are competing to take his place. Among them are Rebeca Grynspan Mayufis from Costa Rica, Ecuador's Ivonne A-Baki, Macky Sall of Senegal, Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett from Guyana, and María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, also from Ecuador. The 15-member Security Council is holding confidential straw polls, commencing on July 30, with Grynspan Mayufis and Rodrigues Birkett currently in the lead. To move forward to a General Assembly vote, a candidate must secure backing from at least nine members without facing a veto from a P5 nation. Candidates have voiced criticisms of the UN, and lobbying efforts have been particularly directed at the US. The selection process could wrap up by December, potentially featuring some last-minute drama.
Key facts
- António Guterres's second five-year term as UN secretary-general ends in December.
- Eight candidates are under consideration, including Rebeca Grynspan Mayufis, Ivonne A-Baki, Macky Sall, Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett and María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés.
- Secret straw polls began on 30 July, with three rounds held so far; Grynspan Mayufis and Rodrigues Birkett are leading.
- The 15-member Security Council conducts the selection, with the P5—UK, France, US, Russia and China—holding veto power.
- A candidate needs at least nine Security Council votes without a P5 veto to advance to a General Assembly vote.
- The US has withdrawn from 31 UN-affiliated organisations under Donald Trump, who has threatened UN funding.
- Only one of nine UN secretary-generals has come from South America; five of the current candidates are women.
- Speculation has suggested Trump might nominate Fifa head Gianni Infantino, though this is considered unlikely.
Entities
Artists
- António Guterres
- Rebeca Grynspan Mayufis
- Ivonne A-Baki
- Macky Sall
- Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett
- María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés
- Donald Trump
- Gianni Infantino
Institutions
- United Nations
- UN Security Council
- UN General Assembly
- International Atomic Energy Agency
- Fifa
- Monocle
- Bloomberg
- General Assembly Hall
- UN Conference on Trade and Development
Locations
- Costa Rica
- Ecuador
- Senegal
- Guyana
- United Kingdom
- France
- United States
- Russia
- China
- South America
- Chile
- Argentina
Sources
- Monocle —
- SCMP Culture —