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Candidates, straw polls and the push for the first woman to lead the United Nations
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The United Nations is choosing its 10th Secretary-General. António Guterres' second five-year term ends in December 2026. The UN Security Council began secret straw polls in late July. In the third poll on 18 September 2026, Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica led with 9 "encourage" and 5 "discourage" votes, according to diplomats quoted by The National. She was followed by Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett of Guyana and Rafael Grossi of Argentina. Several Council members want a woman to lead the UN for the first time in its 81-year history.
The new Secretary-General takes office on 1 January 2027.
| Candidate | Country | Background |
|---|---|---|
| Rebeca Grynspan | Costa Rica | Secretary-General of UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD); former vice-president of Costa Rica |
| Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett | Guyana | Former foreign minister of Guyana |
| Rafael Grossi | Argentina | Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) |
| Michelle Bachelet | Chile | Former president of Chile; former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights |
| María Fernanda Espinosa | Ecuador | Former foreign minister; former President of the UN General Assembly |
| Ivonne Baki | Ecuador | Ecuadorian diplomat |
| Macky Sall | Senegal | Former president of Senegal |
| Olara Otunnu | Uganda | Former UN Under-Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict |
| Poll | Leader | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1st (late July) | No clear frontrunner | Process formally under way |
| 2nd | Rodrigues-Birkett narrowly | Grynspan and Grossi close behind |
| 3rd (18 Sept) | Grynspan (9 encourage, 5 discourage) | Rodrigues-Birkett 8–6; Grossi 5–8 |
Official results are not published. These figures come from diplomats speaking to reporters.
All nine Secretaries-General so far have been men. Five of the eight current candidates are women, and the two frontrunners are both women.
The UN has no formal rotation, but there is a strong informal expectation that regions take turns. Latin America and the Caribbean have had one Secretary-General (Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru, 1982–1991). Six of the eight candidates come from that region.
The UN faces severe funding pressures and calls for reform. A US State Department official said Washington wants a "practical, driven and reform-focused" leader committed to restoring competent management.
Daniel Forti of the International Crisis Group said there are two clear frontrunners, but neither has enough support to rule out a veto from a permanent member. New candidates could still enter if the five permanent members look for a compromise.
On 31 December 2026. He has served two five-year terms since 2017.
Costa Rica's Rebeca Grynspan led the third straw poll on 18 September 2026, according to diplomats.
No. All nine Secretaries-General have been men.
Yes. A veto from China, France, Russia, the UK or the US in the formal vote blocks a candidate's recommendation.
The 2026 race could produce the UN's first woman leader and its second from Latin America. That leader will take over an organisation under heavy financial and political pressure, at a time of wars in the Middle East and Ukraine.
