All seven candidates to lead UN receive Security Council veto in informal poll

The latest informal poll showed a major obstacle in the race for UN secretary-general: every one of the seven candidates was discouraged by at least one permanent Security Council member. Because those members can veto a choice, even a strong overall showing may not be enough.

Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan received the most “encourage” votes. She also received five “discourage” votes, including two from permanent members. The five permanent members used colored straws for the first time in the anonymous polling, while the ten elected members used plain markers.

US media reports say Washington opposes all seven candidates, although envoy Mike Waltz said the United States wants “the best.” Grynspan remains the strongest performer across the first five rounds and again led Friday’s poll. More candidates could still enter the contest.

An informal Security Council straw poll is an anonymous temperature check before the formal selection of a UN secretary-general. It helps members compare candidates and identify opposition early. The process matters because the secretary-general must win broad Council support and avoid a veto from any permanent member.

Each of the 15 members assigns every candidate one of three labels. “Encourage” means the member is backing the candidate. “Discourage” means the member opposes the candidate; from a permanent member, it effectively signals a veto. “No opinion” means the member is not expressing support or opposition.

The poll is informal and opaque, and countries have criticized that lack of transparency. It began in the early 1980s to help break a deadlock between two candidates blocked by vetoes. The mechanism has continued in changing forms.

The first numerical hurdle is nine votes in the 15-member Security Council. This requirement ensures that a candidate has support from a clear majority of Council members. However, winning nine votes alone does not guarantee selection.

The second hurdle is avoiding a veto from the five permanent members: Britain, China, France, Russia, and the United States. The ten other Council members are elected and do not possess that same blocking power. The latest poll showed why both hurdles matter, since every candidate received a discouraging vote from at least one permanent member.

If a candidate clears both tests, the Security Council sends the name to the General Assembly. The full membership of the United Nations then confirms the choice. The Council’s permanent members are deeply divided, making the veto hurdle especially significant.

A candidate must satisfy two separate conditions in the Security Council. The candidate needs at least nine of the 15 available votes and must avoid a veto from every permanent member. A “discourage” vote by one of those five members therefore defeats the candidacy, even if the candidate has the required majority.

For example, Rebeca Grynspan received the most “encourage” votes in the latest poll. Yet she also received five “discourage” votes, including two from permanent members. Those two votes show why her strong support does not automatically clear the selection process.

The candidate cannot proceed to the General Assembly while blocked by a permanent member. The Council must eventually agree on a name that meets both conditions. The latest poll suggests that divisions among the major powers could keep the race unsettled and encourage additional candidates to enter.

The five permanent Security Council members are Britain, China, France, Russia, and the United States. They are the Council’s major powers and hold a special veto privilege. That privilege means one of them can stop a candidate even when at least nine Council members support that person.

The article illustrates the power directly. In the latest poll, every candidate received a “discourage” vote from a permanent member. Colored straws identified those members’ veto positions for the first time, while the ten elected members continued using plain markers.

This arrangement reflects the Security Council’s institutional design, in which the major powers receive a stronger role in decisions affecting international peace and security. The article does not give the historical reason for creating that structure. In this selection, their deep divisions make consensus difficult and keep the outcome uncertain.

The UN secretary-general’s post traditionally rotates among different world regions. The practice is generally understood as a way to broaden regional representation and prevent the top job from remaining concentrated in one area. The article states the tradition but does not provide a formal rule or detailed historical explanation.

That pattern points toward Latin America in this selection. Several candidates come from the region, including Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan, Guyana’s Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Ecuador’s Ivonne A-Baki, and Ecuador’s Maria Fernanda Espinosa. Grynspan has performed best on average in the first five polls and led again in the latest round.

Regional tradition does not decide the outcome by itself. A candidate still needs at least nine Council votes and must avoid a veto from Britain, China, France, Russia, or the United States. Only then can the General Assembly confirm the choice.

The selection has two stages. First, the 15-member Security Council considers candidates and chooses a name. A candidate needs at least nine votes and must avoid a veto from any of the five permanent members. The informal straw polls help members assess support before a formal decision.

The latest poll shows how this works in practice. Rebeca Grynspan received the most encouragement, but five members discouraged her, including two permanent members. Those veto signals mean her strong polling performance has not yet produced a Council-approved nomination.

After the Council clears both requirements, it sends the candidate’s name to the General Assembly. The Assembly includes all UN members and confirms the choice. The outgoing secretary-general, Antònio Guterres of Portugal, finishes his second five-year term on December 31, 2026, so the process must eventually produce his successor.