UN secretary-general race deadlocked as candidates face vetoes

None of the seven candidates in an informal ballot held by the United Nations Security Council to select the organisation’s next secretary-general has secured the support of all five permanent members.

TodayPress TV reports that the leading candidates include former Costa Rican Vice-President Rebeca Grynspan, Guyana’s representative Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett and International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi.

However, each of them has faced opposition from at least two permanent members with veto power.

It should be noted that electing the secretary-general requires the support of at least nine of the Security Council’s 15 members, with none of the five permanent members exercising a veto. The term of current UN Secretary-General António Guterres expires on December 31, 2026.

No woman has ever served as UN secretary-general. The next informal ballot to select the new secretary-general is scheduled to take place next week.