Top things to know
- Guyana's UN candidate Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett leads the latest informal Security Council poll.
- She secured eight "encourage" votes during the 15-member council's second straw poll on Friday.
- She sits narrowly ahead of Rebeca Grynspan and Rafael Grossi, who each secured seven "encourage" votes.
Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Guyana's candidate for United Nations secretary-general, has taken the lead in the latest informal Security Council poll, strengthening her bid to succeed António Guterres. During Friday's second straw poll by the 15-member Security Council, Rodrigues-Birkett earned eight "encourage" votes, three "discourage" votes, and four neutral responses. Diplomatic sources revealed the outcome since the council does not formally publish these informal poll results.
This performance places the Guyanese diplomat narrowly ahead of Rebeca Grynspan from Costa Rica and Rafael Grossi from Argentina, who both collected seven "encourage" votes. Grynspan recorded four "discourage" votes and four no-opinion responses, whereas Grossi received six "discourage" votes and two members expressed no opinion in the ongoing race.