The United Nations Security Council held its third round of informal consultations on Friday (18) to select the organisation's next secretary-general, who will succeed António Guterres. The process is unfolding at a particularly challenging moment for the UN, which is grappling with a proliferation of conflicts, persistent internal divisions, and serious financial difficulties.
António Guterres, the 77-year-old former Portuguese prime minister, has served as UN secretary-general since 2017 and will complete his second five-year term in December this year. A new secretary-general is expected to assume leadership of the organisation from 1 January 2027.
Eight candidates are currently vying for the position, among them five women and three men. The field includes Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett of Guyana, Rafael Grossi of Argentina, Michelle Bachelet of Chile, and Macky Sall of Senegal.
The list is completed by María Espinosa Garcés of Ecuador, Olara Otunnu of Uganda, and Ivonne A-Baki, also of Ecuador. The process remains open to additional candidacies, meaning the field could yet expand.
The selection is taking place at a particularly difficult juncture for the UN, which faces a growing number of conflicts, entrenched divisions on the Security Council, and acute financial pressures. A number of member states have also argued that a woman should, for the first time, be appointed to lead the organisation.
The informal voting rounds are conducted behind closed doors, with the 15 members of the Security Council evaluating each candidate anonymously, indicating whether they encourage, discourage, or have no opinion on a given candidacy. In the first round, held in July, Rebeca Grynspan received the highest number of favourable indications, according to diplomatic sources.
In the second round, held in August, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett moved ahead with the greatest number of positive assessments. Grynspan, aged 70, is a former vice-president of Costa Rica and currently heads the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), while Rodrigues-Birkett, 52, previously served as Guyana's foreign minister.
To advance in the process, a candidate must secure the support of at least nine of the 15 Security Council members and must not be vetoed by any of the five permanent members: the United States, Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom. The name approved by the Security Council is then submitted to the General Assembly, which is expected to act on the council's recommendation.
The third voting round takes place just days ahead of the UN General Debate, scheduled from 22 to 28 September in New York, which is expected to bring together approximately 150 heads of state, heads of government, and other world leaders.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/2026/09/19/mundo/onu-realiza-terceira-votacao-para-eleger-novo-secretario-geral/
