The key facts

  • An informal straw poll in the Security Council gave Rebeca Grynspan the lead, with Caroline Rodrigues-Birkett and Rafael Grossi also ahead
  • After two 'against' votes the race has been restarted, and new candidates may join the contest
  • Lana Nusseibeh (UAE) has announced her candidacy; the winner must secure at least 9 of 15 votes without vetoes from the permanent members by the end of December

The Race Enters Its Decisive Phase

The election of the next UN Secretary-General has entered its final stage. According to Euronews, former Vice-President of Costa Rica Rebeca Grynspan retains a fragile lead, but the contest has intensified: this week UAE Minister Lana Nusseibeh announced her candidacy. Additional interest in the campaign is fueled by the possibility that, for the first time in the organization's more than 80-year history, the post could be held by a woman.

Election Procedure and Interim Results

Last week's informal straw poll among Security Council members gave Grynspan a slight edge over her closest rivals — former Foreign Minister of Guyana Caroline Rodrigues-Birkett and IAEA head Rafael Grossi of Argentina. However, after receiving two 'against' votes, the race was restarted, allowing new candidates to join. To win, a candidate needs at least nine votes from the 15 Security Council members with no objections from the five permanent members — the US, the UK, France, China and Russia. The council has until the end of December to choose a successor to António Guterres, after which the appointment is confirmed by the General Assembly.

Who Is in the Race

Alongside Grynspan, Grossi and Rodrigues-Birkett, the campaign includes former Foreign Minister of Ecuador María Fernanda Espinosa, former President of Senegal Macky Sall, former UN Deputy Secretary-General from Uganda Olara Otunnu, and Ecuadorian diplomat Yvonne A-Baki.

Nusseibeh: A New Contender

Senior UAE diplomat, Minister of State Lana Nusseibeh, known for her 'quiet diplomacy,' announced her candidacy this week. 'I have spent most of my professional life working in and around the UN, and I have seen with my own eyes what determined diplomacy can achieve — countries with deep differences finding common ground,' she said. In her programmatic statement, she places peace and security at the center, also promising progress in development and human rights and reform of the organization around a focus on results. 'I am running for Secretary-General because I believe this is a moment to act with greater urgency: earlier, uniting people across differences, and carrying the work through to concrete results,' Nusseibeh said. She grew up between Abu Dhabi and the UK in a family of prominent political figures, previously served as the UAE's Ambassador to the UN and led the country's successful campaign for a Security Council seat. According to her, several countries at the last General Assembly urged her to run. 'Today everyone recognizes that we need someone who will bring generational change to the organization,' noted the 48-year-old diplomat. During the UAE's Security Council membership in 2022–2023, she secured the adoption of Resolution 2720, which opened the way for humanitarian aid to Gaza; speaking Hebrew, she, by her own account, secured support for the resolution by organizing Council members' visits to the Rafah crossing point. If she wins, she would become the first woman to lead the UN since 1945, the first Secretary-General of Palestinian origin, and the second representative of the Arab-speaking world after Boutros Boutros-Ghali. 'It would be wonderful if the next Secretary-General is a woman, but I am not running because I am a woman — I am running because I am stubbornly optimistic about the future of the UN,' she said on Wednesday.

Grynspan Holds the Lead

Rebeca Grynspan, 70, currently head of UNCTAD, was born to Jewish parents who fled Poland before World War II; her grandparents died in the Holocaust, having chosen to stay in Poland. In a May interview with Euronews, she said: 'I know exactly what wars take away and what peace makes possible.' According to her, she belongs to a generation that lived in peace, but 'millions of people today live in conflict zones — that is why I am running for this post.' Grynspan agreed with the 'constructive' criticism of US President Donald Trump that 'the UN has enormous potential but is not realizing it,' and believes a reformed UN can change the situation. In a multipolar world, in her view, the choice is between 'multipolarity with multilateralism' and 'multipolarity without multilateralism,' which leads to fragmentation and instability. She also highlighted breakthroughs in technology, artificial intelligence, medicine and science that could be delivered to millions of people living in poverty and hunger. 'Conflicts in the world are growing, trust between countries and in the multilateral system is declining, and time is running out,' Grynspan said, calling this election 'not an ordinary election campaign.'