Overview
- Rebeca Grynspan led the first informal Security Council straw poll, receiving 10 “encourage” marks in the secret ballots held on Thursday, July 30, 2026, with Carolyn Rodrigues‑Birkett and Rafael Grossi trailing behind.
- Straw polls are non‑binding tests in which each of the 15 council members marks candidates as “encourage,” “discourage,” or “no opinion,” and later rounds use different‑coloured ballots for the five permanent members to reveal potential vetoes.
- Seven candidates remain in the running from Latin America, Africa and Uganda, including a late entry by veteran Ugandan diplomat Olara Otunnu, and many used public town halls and debates to raise visibility.
- The council must eventually deliver a recommendation that wins at least nine votes and avoids any P5 veto before the General Assembly can formally confirm the next secretary‑general, so selection could stretch for weeks or months.
- The choice will shape the UN’s response to budget pressure, demands for bureaucracy cuts and stalled diplomacy, and member states’ push for the first woman and a Latin American candidate are central factors in bargaining ahead.