Rebecca Greenspan strengthened her lead in the Security Council’s seventh informal vote to select the next UN Secretary-General, garnering eleven votes of support and four votes of opposition.
Rafael Grossi followed with nine votes of support, four against, and two “no opinion,” while Lana Nuseibeh, in her first participation in the process, received seven votes in favor, six against, and two “no opinion” votes.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
The vote took place during closed-door consultations scheduled under the Greek presidency of the Security Council.
According to the voting results, Carolyn Rodriguez Birket received eight votes of encouragement, six of discouragement, and one “no opinion.” Olara Otunnu received four votes in favor and eleven against, while María Fernanda Espinosa received two votes in favor, ten against, and three “no opinion” votes. Yvonne A-Baki received one vote of encouragement and fourteen votes of discouragement.
Compared to the sixth informal vote, Greenspan increased her positive votes from nine to eleven and reduced her negative votes from five to four. Grosi also strengthened his support, increasing his positive votes from eight to nine, while his negative votes decreased from six to four. Rodriguez Birket maintained the same distribution of votes.
The available results do not include a separate breakdown of the votes cast by the five permanent members. Therefore, they do not allow us to determine whether the negative votes for each candidate came from states with veto power. Votes of disapproval in the informal process do not constitute a formal exercise of the veto.
Nuseibeh’s participation follows the official submission of her candidacy by the United Arab Emirates on October 21. Former Senegalese President Macky Sall has withdrawn from the race.
According to press briefings by the Greek presidency, Security Council members held an informal dialogue with Nuseibeh on October 28. The candidate presented her views on the challenges and opportunities facing the United Nations, followed by questions and a discussion with Council members.
The same text emphasizes that the selection process will proceed in accordance with Article 97 of the Charter and the joint letter from the Presidents of the General Assembly and the Security Council dated November 25,November 2025, “guided by the principles of transparency and inclusivity, in a structured and timely manner.”
According to reports, Turkey may present Feridun Sinirlioğlu’s candidacy next week, depending on the results of Saturday’s informal vote.
The Council plans to submit its recommendation to the General Assembly in a timely manner so that the appointment will allow the new Secretary-General “sufficient time to prepare for his duties.”
The 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 veto from the five permanent members—the U.S., Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom.
SEE ALSO: Israeli Elections: Possible Illegal Funding from Qatar and Turkey Under Investigation | AlphaNews
Source: CNA
