UN Holds 5th Straw Poll In Race To Succeed Guterres As Uganda’s Otunnu Support Falls To 3 Votes

Ugandan diplomat and former UN Under-Secretary-General Olara Otunnu remains in the race to become the next Secretary-General of the United Nations as the Security Council moves closer to the decisive stage of the succession process.

Otunnu was among seven candidates assessed during the fifth non-binding straw poll held by the 15-member UN Security Council on Wednesday, as diplomats continued consultations on who should succeed current Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

The latest round gave Otunnu three votes in favour and 12 against, according to diplomatic sources familiar with the confidential results.

The fifth straw poll was confirmed by Greece’s envoy to the United Nations, Aglaia Balta, whose country holds the Security Council presidency for October.

“The fifth round of straw polls has taken place,” Balta told reporters at UN headquarters in New York, adding that each candidate would receive their results through the permanent representatives of the countries that nominated them.

The President of the UN General Assembly would also be formally informed that the straw poll had been conducted.

The Greek diplomat did not disclose when the next round would be held.

Costa Rican diplomat Rebeca Grynspan emerged as the strongest candidate in the latest round, receiving nine votes in favour and six against, according to the leaked diplomatic information.

International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Grossi followed with six votes in favour, seven against and two abstentions, while former Colombian foreign minister Carolyn Rodrigues received five votes in favour, nine against and one abstention.

Former Senegalese President Macky Sall received five votes in favour and 10 against.

Otunnu and Ecuadorian diplomat Maria Fernanda Espinosa each received three votes in favour, although Espinosa recorded nine votes against and three abstentions.

Ecuadorian politician Ivonne Baki received no votes in favour, with 14 against and one abstention.

The straw polls are not formal votes on the appointment of the next UN Secretary-General. Instead, they are designed to give Security Council members an indication of the level of support enjoyed by each candidate and help narrow the field before the Council eventually recommends one candidate to the General Assembly.

The process is particularly significant because the Security Council has 15 members, including five permanent members: the United States, China, France, Russia and the United Kingdom.

A candidate ultimately needs at least nine votes in the Council to secure the required recommendation, while any of the five permanent members can block a candidate through a veto.

Once the Security Council agrees on a candidate and submits its recommendation, the UN General Assembly formally appoints the Secretary-General.

Otunnu served as UN Under-Secretary-General and Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, where he became internationally known for his advocacy for children affected by armed conflict.

His campaign also comes at a time when questions of African representation, multilateralism, peace and international cooperation remain central to debates about the future leadership of the United Nations.

Although the latest straw poll does not determine the eventual winner, the process is expected to become increasingly competitive as Security Council members continue consultations.

The succession race is taking place ahead of the end of Guterres’ second term on December 31, after which a new Secretary-General will take charge of the global organisation.