Rebeca Grynspan Holds Lead in UN Secretary-General Race

By GlobalDeskNews Staff | Published October 17, 2026

Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica held her narrow lead in the race to become the 10th United Nations secretary-general on Friday, after the Security Council's sixth secret ballot left every leading candidate blocked by at least two veto-wielding permanent members.

The informal poll, held at UN headquarters in New York on October 16, placed Grynspan, 70, a former Costa Rican vice president, ahead of her two closest rivals — but with no decisive winner, diplomats say the door is now open for new candidates to enter the contest.

Rebeca Grynspan UN secretary-general race: the Friday tally

According to Reuters, which cited two people close to the process, Grynspan received nine "encourage" votes, five "discourage" votes and one "no opinion" vote. Two of the five opposing votes came from the council's permanent members — Russia, China, the United States, France and Britain — the countries whose "discourage" votes act as vetoes.

Guyana's UN ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett received eight votes in favor, six against and one "no opinion," with two opposing votes from the permanent members, Reuters reported. Argentina's Rafael Grossi, the director general of the UN nuclear watchdog, posted a near-identical result to Birkett, but with one fewer permanent member supporting his bid, according to the same report.

The National's account of the vote largely matched those figures: Grynspan securing the minimum nine encouraging votes with five discouraging, including two "red" votes from permanent members, while Grossi and Rodrigues-Birkett each drew eight encouraging and six discouraging votes, both facing opposition from two permanent members. The two outlets differ slightly on the exact permanent-member breakdown for Grossi, but agree on the essentials — Grynspan leads, and nobody commands a consensus.

Color-coded ballots reveal the veto wall

Friday's poll was the first in this selection process to use color-coded ballots, distinguishing the votes of the five permanent members from those of the council's 10 elected members. For the first time, the candidates — and the diplomats watching them — could see exactly where the veto opposition sits.

To win the council's recommendation, a candidate needs at least nine positive votes out of 15 and no "discourage" vote from any permanent member. Grynspan cleared the nine-vote bar but not the veto test. That split, analysts say, is what makes this round different: earlier polls concealed which members were discouraging which candidates; now the obstacles have names, even if the ballot is still secret.

A race that keeps refusing to settle

This was the sixth secret ballot organized by council officials, who have less than three months to pick the successor to Antonio Guterres, whose term ends on December 31. Four of the five previous polls in recent months had shown Grynspan narrowly ahead, with one poll in August placing Rodrigues-Birkett on top — and Friday's result, Reuters noted, did not fundamentally change that dynamic.

There is precedent for a long contest: when Guterres himself was chosen in October 2016, it took six straw polls for the council to reach agreement. But this time the field is more fractured. None of the seven candidates who took part in the October 16 poll has withdrawn, The National reported, and no new candidates have entered the race yet — though diplomats and observers told Reuters the lack of a decisive winner opens the door for fresh names.

Panama backs Grossi; Washington sets its terms

Ahead of the vote, Panamanian President Jose Mulino declared that Panama's vote — Panama sits among the council's non-permanent members — would go to Grossi, giving the Argentine a public boost that still wasn't enough to break the deadlock.

After the vote, the US ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, laid out Washington's terms for the next chief: a secretary-general who would refocus the organization on its core mandate of maintaining international peace and security, with what he called strong, energetic leadership to take the United Nations "back to basics" and put it, in his words, "on a diet."

Waltz played down the importance of regional rotation and gender in the selection, saying Washington's priority was simply the most qualified candidate. "We understand there is a desire for regional rotation. Of course, if the best candidate's a woman, we would welcome that, but we really just need the best candidate," he told reporters.

Analysts see a split decision — and a possible opening

Minh-Thu Pham, co-founder of the Starling Institute and a former adviser to UN secretary-general Kofi Annan, told The National that the narrowing gap between the top three underscored growing uncertainty around the race. "Compared to previous rounds, differences between the top three are very, very slim now," she said.

"It seems to be a split decision with no P5 convergence. It means there is a path open for new entrants," Pham said, referring to the five permanent members. But she warned that a new contender would not necessarily break the deadlock: "It could get messy."

Pham said time was running out for new candidates to enter and build support, and cautioned that even if the US, China and Russia quietly agreed on a candidate, the council's other members might not go along. She also warned that rushing new candidates through without the usual informal hearings with the General Assembly could provoke resistance there. "A lot of pieces have to fall into place, and we're running out of time," she said.

Why it matters

The next secretary-general will inherit an institution under strain. Whoever wins will have to manage several wars, cope with cutbacks in American contributions to the UN, and confront the body's declining political relevance as Washington has pulled out of dozens of its agencies, Reuters noted. The selection itself is a stress test of the Security Council's ability to agree on anything at a moment of deep great-power division — and with vetoes now visible in color, the disagreements are out in the open. For the wider diplomatic picture, see our recent coverage of the Ethiopia-Eritrea crisis and the UN's response.

What happens next

The council will keep balloting, and the field could still change: no candidate has withdrawn, and no new names have entered — yet. If the deadlock persists, expect quiet diplomacy to intensify behind closed doors, possibly around a compromise candidate acceptable to all five permanent members. Waltz said he believes the council can finish before the end of the year; Pham called that encouraging but warned that failure "could deepen doubts about the Council and the UN." The next straw poll will show whether Friday's clarity about the veto wall pushes the race toward resolution — or toward a messier, wider contest.

Key Takeaways

• Rebeca Grynspan, 70, former Costa Rican vice president, stayed narrowly ahead in the sixth UN Security Council secret ballot on October 16, with nine "encourage" votes, five "discourage" and one "no opinion."
• Two veto-wielding permanent members opposed Grynspan; rivals Rafael Grossi and Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett each drew eight encouraging and six discouraging votes, also blocked by permanent-member opposition.
• Friday's poll was the first to use color-coded ballots, revealing exactly where the veto opposition sits among the P5 — Russia, China, the US, France and Britain.
• With less than three months before Antonio Guterres's term ends on December 31, diplomats say the lack of a decisive winner opens the door for new candidates.
• The US ambassador Mike Waltz wants a chief who refocuses the UN on peace and security; analysts warn the deadlock could deepen doubts about the Council.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is leading the race for UN secretary-general?

Rebeca Grynspan, a 70-year-old former vice president of Costa Rica, is the narrow frontrunner. In the sixth secret ballot on October 16, 2026, she received nine "encourage" votes, five "discourage" votes and one "no opinion" — clearing the nine-vote threshold but facing opposition from two veto-wielding permanent members.

How does the UN secretary-general selection work?

The 15-member Security Council holds informal straw polls. To earn the council's recommendation, a candidate needs at least nine positive votes and no "discourage" vote from any of the five permanent members — Russia, China, the US, France and Britain. The General Assembly then formally appoints the council's nominee.

Who are Grynspan's main rivals?

Her two closest rivals are Rafael Grossi of Argentina, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett of Guyana, her country's ambassador to the UN. Both drew eight encouraging and six discouraging votes in Friday's poll, with permanent-member opposition blocking each.

What were the color-coded ballots?

For the first time in this selection process, council members cast color-coded ballots distinguishing the votes of the five permanent members from those of the 10 elected members. The change made it visible exactly which candidates face veto-level opposition and from where.

When must the next UN chief be chosen?

Antonio Guterres's term ends on December 31, 2026, giving the council less than three months to agree on his successor. The US ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, said he believes the council can finish before the end of the year.

Can new candidates still enter the race?

Yes. None of the seven candidates in the October 16 poll has withdrawn, and no new candidates have entered yet — but diplomats say the absence of a decisive winner leaves the door open. Analysts caution, however, that time is running out and that skipping the usual informal hearings could provoke resistance in the General Assembly.

What challenges will the next secretary-general face?

According to Reuters, the next chief will have to manage several wars, cope with cutbacks in American funding to the UN, and address the organization's declining political relevance as Washington has withdrawn from dozens of UN agencies.

Sources

• Reuters (Antoni Slodkowski), "Grynspan holds lead for next UN chief as race enters decisive stage," October 16, 2026 — reuters.com
• The National, "Grynspan stays ahead in sixth UN Secretary General vote, but two veto powers say no," October 16, 2026 — thenationalnews.com