Guyana’s candidate for United Nations secretary-general, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, has taken the lead in the second informal Security Council straw poll, receiving the highest number of ‘encourage’ votes.
A straw poll is an informal, non-binding vote conducted by the 15-member United Nations Security Council to gauge support for candidates seeking to become secretary-general. Council members indicate whether they ‘encourage’, ‘discourage’ or have ‘no opinion’ on each candidate.
Rodrigues-Birkett received eight ‘encourage’ votes, three ‘discourage’ votes and four ‘no opinion’ votes in the second poll, according to information released by Guyana’s Department of Public Information.
Rebeca Grynspan, who led the first poll, received seven ‘encourage’ votes, four ‘discourage’ votes and four ‘no opinion’ votes in the latest round.
In the first straw poll, Grynspan received 10 ‘encourage’ votes, two ‘discourage’ votes and three ‘no opinion’ votes, while Rodrigues-Birkett recorded nine ‘encourage’ votes, two ‘discourage’ votes and four ‘no opinion’ votes.
Rodrigues-Birkett’s ‘encourage’ tally therefore fell by one in the second round, while Grynspan’s fell by three, allowing the Guyanese candidate to move into first place.
The straw polls are intended to show how support for the candidates is developing and help the Security Council narrow the field.
However, leading a straw poll does not mean Rodrigues-Birkett has been selected as secretary-general. The Security Council must eventually agree on a candidate to recommend to the UN General Assembly, which makes the formal appointment.
Results from the straw poll.
The votes in the informal polls are anonymous, so it is not known which Council members cast individual votes. This is particularly significant because the five permanent members – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States – have veto power over the Council’s eventual recommendation.
Rodrigues-Birkett, a former Guyanese foreign minister, was nominated by Guyana and is among the candidates seeking to replace current Secretary-General António Guterres.
Further consultations and straw polls are expected as the Security Council works towards identifying a candidate capable of securing the support required for a formal recommendation to the General Assembly.