Voting for new UN secretary-general begins today
The Security Council is set to hold its first informal secret ballot as part of the process to elect a new UN secretary-general. The process is known as a ‘straw poll’. The process, to be held today (July 30), will gauge the level of support among member states for the seven candidates currently vying for the world body’s top job.
Current Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will end his term in December this year after serving two five-year terms totaling 10 years. Candidates from Latin America and Africa are leading the race to succeed the Portuguese national.
Currently, nominees from Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guyana, Senegal and Uganda are vying for the position. Representatives of the 15 Security Council member states will be able to cast three initial votes in this informal vote—‘in favor’, ‘against’ and ‘no opinion’.
This secret ballot is usually conducted in multiple stages, which can be finalized in late September or early October. However, there are concerns that this process could be prolonged if there are differences of opinion among member states in selecting a suitable candidate or if there is a delay in reaching a single consensus.
