Race for the post of UN Secretary-General: Guyana's representative takes the lead
The struggle for the seat of the next Secretary-General of the United Nations is gaining momentum.
Following the results of the second closed straw poll held in the UN Security Council, the list of eight contenders was topped by Guyana's representative Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett. She received 8 votes in favor, 3 votes against and 4 "no opinion."
The previous leader of the first round (July 30), Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica, moved to second place. She has 7 votes in favor, 4 against and 4 "no opinion." The head of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi of Argentina, gathered the same number of positive votes (7 in favor), however, 6 members of the Council spoke out against his candidacy, with 2 "no opinion."
The most dynamic growth in support was demonstrated by the diplomat from Uganda Olara Otunnu, who more than doubled his result compared with July and gained 5 votes in each of the three categories. Former President of Senegal Macky Sall received 6 votes "encourage," 7 "discourage" and 2 "no opinion," while Ecuador's representative Maria Fernanda Espinosa received 4 "encourage," 3 "discourage" and 8 "no opinion."
The most noticeable drop in indicators was recorded for former President of Chile Michelle Bachelet: her support decreased from 6 votes in the first round to 2 (with 6 "discourage" and 7 "no opinion").
Analysis and the balance of forces
For a candidacy to be officially approved by the Security Council, the contender must gather at least 9 votes in favor with no veto from any of the five permanent members (the USA, Russia, China, Great Britain, France). Since in the second round none of the contenders overcame the barrier of 9 votes, none of the candidates can so far guarantee themselves a confident lead.
As Daniel Forti, an expert at the analytical center International Crisis Group, notes, as the permanent members of the Security Council begin to express their positions more clearly, the balance of forces changes, which may prompt new candidates to enter the race as well.
According to the unspoken principle of regional rotation, the current mandate is considered the turn of the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, which are now represented by six candidates. At the same time, calls are being voiced in the world community to elect a woman to this post for the first time in the history of the UN.
The series of closed straw polls will continue in the fall. The final name of the new Secretary-General, who will replace Antonio Guterres from January 1, must be approved by the General Assembly before December 31.
Source: passblue.com
