United Nations (United States) (AFP) – Costa Rican Rebeca Grynspan led for the third time this Tuesday an informal vote of the United Nations Security Council, in what seems to be a highlight of her candidacy for the organization's general secretary, according to a diplomatic source.

First modification: 09/30/2026 - 09:59

Several members of the most powerful body of the UN have expressed their desire that, for the first time, the United Nations elect a woman to occupy the general secretary and thus succeed the Portuguese Antonio Guterres, whose mandate expires at the end of December.

Grynspan, former vice president of Costa Rica and who requested a leave of absence from her position at UNCTAD (UN Trade and Development Agency) to campaign, has come in first place in three of the four closed-door exploratory votes.

However, a veto by any of the five permanent members of the 15-member UN Security Council could slow its momentum.

On Tuesday it received 10 favorable votes and three negative votes of "discouragement", in addition to two indications of "no opinion", according to the diplomat who asked not to be identified, in confirmation of what was reported by specialized media in the UN.

Former Guyana foreign minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, who narrowly led the second round of the process, came in second on Tuesday, with eight endorsements.

Four women and three men are competing for the UN secretary general. Among them, the Argentine Rafael Grossi, current director of the UN nuclear supervision body, in third place; followed by the Senegalese Macky Sall, the Ecuadorians Ivonne A-Baki and María Fernanda Espinosa and the Ugandan Olara Otunnu.

There is speculation about the possibility that a compromise candidate will appear in the process, at the request of the five permanent members of the Security Council with veto rights: the United Kingdom, China, France, Russia and the United States.

Even if a candidate gets the necessary nine votes out of the 15 available in the Security Council, he must also avoid the veto of any of the five deeply divided great powers.

Once a candidate clears those hurdles, his or her name is sent to the General Assembly, made up of all UN members, for confirmation.

© 2026 AFP

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