The complete list of results placed Olara Otunnu from Uganda in fifth place, with four favorable votes; followed by María Fernanda Espinosa from Antigua and Barbuda, with two; and Ivonne Baki from Ecuador, who received one endorsement.
The Argentine candidate received nine votes in favor and achieved his best result since the beginning of the process to succeed António Guterres
The complete list of results placed Olara Otunnu from Uganda in fifth place, with four favorable votes; followed by María Fernanda Espinosa from Antigua and Barbuda, with two; and Ivonne Baki from Ecuador, who received one endorsement.
The Argentine diplomat Rafael Grossi has once again been one of the most voted candidates to become the next Secretary General of the United Nations, placing second after the seventh vote held by the Security Council.
Grossi received nine votes in favor, four against, and two abstentions, representing his best result since the selection process for António Guterres' successor began.
The voting was led by the leftist Rebeca Grynspan, representative of Costa Rica, who garnered 11 supports, four negative votes, and no abstentions. Grossi followed behind her, while the communist Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett from Guyana completed the top three with eight votes in favor, six against, and one abstention.
The result keeps the Argentine among the main contenders for the UN Secretary General position and reinforces his standing in a competition that still lacks a resolution.
Although the three most voted candidates represent countries from Latin America, the election continues to be influenced by diplomatic negotiations among the major powers.
The seventh round left Grossi with nine endorsements, compared to the eight received by the candidate from Guyana and the seven from Lana Nusseibeh, nominated by the United Arab Emirates. The latter had conducted a social media and European media outreach campaign but ended up in fourth place, with six votes against and two abstentions.
Grossi's candidacy unfolds in a scenario where differences between the United States and China, two of the five permanent members of the Security Council, still need to be resolved. Russia, France, and the United Kingdom complete this group, which holds veto power over the candidates.
The Security Council is made up of 15 countries: five permanent members and ten non-permanent members. To advance in the process, at least nine favorable votes are needed, and also that none of the permanent members exercise their veto power.
While the details are not fully known, it is understood that the permanent members have already made challenges regarding certain candidates.
The non-permanent members do not have that authority, but their votes are crucial to achieving the necessary majority. In secret votes, representatives express their position through ballots that allow for recording supports, rejections, and abstentions.
The final decision must be resolved before the end of 2026. Until then, Grossi will continue in the race with a result that strengthens his candidacy and keeps him among the two candidates with the most support in the Security Council.
