The first informal straw poll by the United Nations Security Council has revealed a tough start for Africa's candidates vying to become the next UN Secretary-General.

Former Senegalese President Macky Sall garnered six "encourage" votes, seven "discourage" votes, and two "no opinion" votes. Meanwhile, Ugandan diplomat Olara Otunnu received two "encourage," five "discourage," and eight "no opinion" votes, signalling an uphill path for both hopefuls.

This secret ballot, conducted behind closed doors among the Council's 15 members, tested early support for seven candidates aiming to succeed António Guterres. The vote allowed members to express encouragement, discouragement, or neutrality toward each contender.

Poll Results and Candidate Context

  • Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica led the poll with 10 encourage votes, one discourage, and four no opinions.
  • Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett from Guyana followed closely with nine encourage votes.
  • Rafael Grossi of Argentina placed third with seven encourage votes.

Other candidates include Michelle Bachelet from Chile and María Fernanda Espinosa of Ecuador.

The African Union's stance on Sall’s candidacy has been ambivalent due to initial nomination disputes and lack of unified endorsement. Otunnu, known for introducing the straw poll system during his tenure as Uganda’s UN representative and Security Council President, joined the race later and has yet to gain significant traction despite his diplomatic credentials.

Next Steps in the Selection Process

The straw poll is a preliminary gauge and does not disclose potential vetoes from the Security Council's five permanent members—China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States—who hold decisive power in the selection.

Subsequent rounds will include color-coded ballots to reveal permanent members’ positions, clarifying which candidates could be blocked from advancing to the General Assembly vote.

The Security Council also includes ten elected members: Bahrain, Colombia, Congo, Denmark, Greece, Latvia, Liberia, Pakistan, Panama, and Somalia.