Overview
- Rebeca Grynspan led the Security Council’s first informal straw poll on Thursday, receiving 10 “encourage” votes in a non-binding secret ballot.
- Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett finished a close second with nine “encourage” votes and Rafael Grossi was third with seven, while other contenders drew more mixed responses.
- The straw polls ask members to mark “encourage,” “discourage” or “no opinion,” and later use different-coloured ballots for the five permanent members to reveal any veto signals.
- No Security Council recommendation has been made and diplomats say multiple additional closed rounds are planned before the Council can put a nominee to the General Assembly.
- Delegations are pressing for institutional reform and for the UN’s first woman or a Latin American to win, a push that could shape voting as the contest moves toward a final recommendation and the General Assembly vote before December 2026.