The UN Security Council (UNSC) held its first preliminary vote for the candidate to succeed UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, whose term expires on December 31.
UNSC President and Democratic Republic of the Congo's Permanent Representative to the UN, Zenon Mukongo Ngay, said in a press briefing after the vote that the results would only be communicated to the relevant permanent representatives of the member states that nominated candidates and to the President of the General Assembly, and would not be made public.
Ngay said, "The thinking behind this is to keep everything confidential. At the same time, we want transparency and efficiency, and we do not want speculation about it." When a journalist pointed out the contradiction between transparency and secrecy, he reminded that this procedure was not his personal decision but a decision taken by the UNSC.
Noting that the council presidency ends tomorrow, Ngay said the next preliminary vote will be held during Denmark's presidency.
7 candidates in the race
So far, seven candidates have put forward their names for the UN Secretary-General post:
- International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi
- Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet
- Former President of Senegal Macky Sall
- Rebeca Grynspan, who is on leave from her post as Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development
- Maria Fernanda Espinosa, who served as President of the UN General Assembly in 2018-2019
- Guyana's Permanent Representative to the UN, Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett
- Olara Otunnu, who served as Uganda's Permanent Representative to the UN in the 1980s
In the closed sessions of the 15-member UNSC, the candidate who receives at least 9 'yes' votes and is not vetoed by the permanent members—the US, Russia, China, the UK, and France—will be submitted to the UN General Assembly for approval. Although the UN Charter does not explicitly prohibit the Council from recommending more than one name, long-standing practice dictates that the UNSC is expected to agree on a single candidate to recommend to the General Assembly.
It is thought that it will take some time for Council members to reach consensus on a single candidate. The new Secretary-General is expected to be determined at the earliest in September and at the latest in December. The candidate who secures majority approval in the 193-member General Assembly will take office on January 1, 2027.
Portuguese national Antonio Guterres, who has served two terms as UN Secretary-General since 2016, sees his term expire on December 31.
