Guyana’s Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett leads second UN Secretary-General straw poll
Key Points(5)
- Guyana’s Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett has emerged as the leading candidate in the second informal United Nations Security Council straw poll in the race to become the next UN secretary-general.
- Rodrigues-Birkett received eight “encourage” votes, three “discourage” votes and four “no opinion” votes, according to results released by Guyana’s Department of Public Information.
- She finished ahead of Rebeca Grynspan, who led the first round and received seven “encourage” votes, four “discourage” votes and four “no opinion” votes in the latest poll.
- A straw poll is an informal, non-binding vote used by the 15-member Security Council to gauge support for candidates seeking the UN’s top post.
- Members indicate whether they “encourage” or “discourage” a candidate or have “no opinion.” In the first straw poll, Grynspan received 10 “encourage” votes, two “discourage” votes and three “no opinion” votes.
Guyana’s Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett has emerged as the leading candidate in the second informal United Nations Security Council straw poll in the race to become the next UN secretary-general.
Rodrigues-Birkett received eight “encourage” votes, three “discourage” votes and four “no opinion” votes, according to results released by Guyana’s Department of Public Information.
She finished ahead of Rebeca Grynspan, who led the first round and received seven “encourage” votes, four “discourage” votes and four “no opinion” votes in the latest poll.
A straw poll is an informal, non-binding vote used by the 15-member Security Council to gauge support for candidates seeking the UN’s top post. Members indicate whether they “encourage” or “discourage” a candidate or have “no opinion.”
In the first straw poll, Grynspan received 10 “encourage” votes, two “discourage” votes and three “no opinion” votes. Rodrigues-Birkett received nine “encourage” votes, two “discourage” votes and four “no opinion” votes.
While support for both candidates declined in the second round, Grynspan lost three “encourage” votes compared with Rodrigues-Birkett’s decline of one, putting the Guyanese candidate at the top of the latest poll.
The straw polls are designed to help Security Council members assess the level of support for each candidate and gradually narrow the field.
However, Rodrigues-Birkett’s lead does not mean she has been selected as the next secretary-general. The Security Council must ultimately agree on a candidate to recommend to the UN General Assembly, which makes the formal appointment.
Votes in the straw polls are anonymous, meaning it is not known which countries encouraged or discouraged individual candidates.
The positions of the Security Council’s five permanent members — China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States — are particularly important because each holds veto power over the Council’s eventual recommendation.
Rodrigues-Birkett, a former Guyanese foreign minister, was nominated by Guyana to succeed current Secretary-General António Guterres.
Further consultations and straw polls are expected as the Security Council works toward identifying a candidate who can secure enough support for a formal recommendation to the General Assembly.
