Guyana's Rodrigues-Birkett takes lead in UN chief race as Israel's Danon demands change

Guyana's Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett emerged as the leading candidate to become the next United Nations secretary-general on Friday, receiving eight "encourage" votes in the latest informal poll of the UN Security Council.

Rodrigues-Birkett, a former Guyanese foreign minister, was followed by Costa Rica's Rebeca Grynspan and Argentina's Rafael Grossi, who each received seven "encourage" votes. Grynspan had led the previous round last month with 10 votes, ahead of Rodrigues-Birkett with nine and Grossi with seven.

The confidential straw polls are used to test the level of support and opposition facing each candidate before the 15-member Security Council formally recommends a nominee to the General Assembly. A successful candidate ultimately needs at least nine council votes while avoiding a veto from any of the five permanent members.

Rodrigues-Birkett received three "discourage" votes and four "no opinion" votes on Friday. Grynspan received four "discourage" votes, while Grossi faced six, potentially complicating his path despite matching Grynspan's level of positive support.

Former Senegalese president Macky Sall received six "encourage" votes, Uganda's Olara Otunnu five, Ecuador's María Fernanda Espinosa four and former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet two. Ivonne Baki of Ecuador, the latest entrant to the race following her nomination by Tonga, received no "encourage" votes and eight "discourage" votes.

Israel has so far declined to publicly endorse any of the candidates. As i24NEWS previously reported, Jerusalem has no vote in the process and has little incentive to reveal a preference that could prove counterproductive amid its deeply strained relationship with the UN and tensions with several permanent Security Council members.

Grynspan, who is Jewish and the daughter of Holocaust refugees, is a former Costa Rican vice president and currently heads the UN Trade and Development agency. She studied at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and has generally been viewed as relatively moderate toward Israel, although she sharply criticized the country during the early stages of the Israel-Hamas war.

Israel's Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon said Friday that the selection would be "a test for the future of the United Nations" after years of what he described as bias, failure and eroding trust.

"Israel will evaluate the candidates based on their record and their willingness to stand up to terrorism, antisemitism, and hypocrisy," Danon said. "The next Secretary-General must restore the credibility the UN has lost, not perpetuate the failures that brought it to this point."

The eventual winner will succeed António Guterres, whose second and final five-year term expires at the end of December.