Rebecca Greenspan maintained her lead in the Security Council’s sixth informal vote to select the next UN Secretary-General, garnering nine votes of support, five of opposition, and one “no opinion.” However, two of the negative votes came from Permanent Members of the Council, a sign that obstacles to her candidacy remain.
The vote on Friday, October 16, took place under the Greek presidency, with different-colored ballots used for the five permanent members and the ten elected members. The red ballots for the permanent members allowed their positions to be recorded separately, without revealing which country supported or opposed each candidate.
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According to the leaked voting data, none of the seven candidates avoided negative votes from Permanent Members. Votes of disapproval in this informal process do not constitute an official veto, but they reflect objections that, if maintained in the final vote, could prevent a candidate from being nominated to the General Assembly.
Greenspan, from Costa Rica, received three votes of support and two votes of opposition from the Permanent Members. Although she received a total of nine votes in her favor, the opposition of two members with veto power remains a critical obstacle.
Rafael Grossi and Carolyn Rodrigues Birket each received eight votes of support, six votes of opposition, and one “no opinion.” The breakdown among the Permanent Members, however, was different: Grossi received two “in favor,” two “against,” and one “no opinion,” while Rodrigues Birket received three “in favor” and two “against.”
Maki Shal received five votes of encouragement and ten of discouragement. Among the Permanent Members, two encouraged him and three discouraged him.
Olara Otunu received four votes of encouragement, ten of discouragement, and one “no opinion.” Among the Permanent Members, one vote was in favor, three were against, and one was “no opinion.”
María Fernanda Espinosa received three votes of encouragement, nine of discouragement, and three “no opinion” votes. Among the permanent members, one encouraged her, three discouraged her, and one did not express an opinion.
Yvonne A-Baki received one vote of support and fourteen votes of opposition, with all five permanent members taking a negative stance.
The outcome of the sixth round of voting leaves the process of selecting Antonio Guterres’s successor open. Greenspan remains in first place in terms of overall support, while Grossi and Rodriguez-Birkett follow with one fewer affirmative vote. However, no candidate has yet garnered the combination of support and lack of opposition from a Permanent Member required for the final selection.
The next Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council. The recommendation requires at least nine affirmative votes and no vetoes from the five Permanent Members—the United States, Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom.
Source: CNA
