The UN Security Council held its sixth straw poll on 17 October 2026 to assess the viability of candidates competing to succeed António Guterres as the next United Nations Secretary-General, whose term expires at the close of this year.

Aglaia Balta, Greece's permanent representative to the United Nations and president of the Security Council for October, confirmed the vote to reporters. 'The sixth round of straw polls has taken place,' Balta said, adding that each candidate would be informed of the results through the permanent representatives of their nominating member states. The President of the UN General Assembly was also to be notified that the poll had been conducted.

How the Straw Poll Process Works

Security Council straw polls are informal, closed-door ballots designed to gauge the relative strength of each candidate before a formal recommendation is made to the UN General Assembly. Results are not officially published. Each Security Council member reportedly receives one ballot per candidate listing three options: 'encouraged', 'discouraged', or 'no opinion expressed'.

To secure the Council's recommendation, a candidate must obtain at least nine 'encouraged' votes and cannot receive a single 'discouraged' vote from any of the five permanent members — the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China — effectively giving each P5 nation veto power over any candidate.

Seven Candidates Still in the Race

As of the sixth poll, seven candidates remain in contention:

Ivonne A-Baki, a former Ecuadorian minister and diplomat; Maria Fernanda Espinosa, former president of the UN General Assembly and former foreign minister and defence minister of Ecuador; Rafael Grossi of Argentina, current director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Rebeca Grynspan, former vice president of Costa Rica and current secretary-general of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD); Olara Otunnu of Uganda, a former UN under-secretary-general; Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Guyana's permanent representative to the UN; and Macky Sall, former president of Senegal.

Timeline and What Comes Next

Secretary-General António Guterres' second term concludes at the end of 2026, with his successor scheduled to assume office on 1 January 2027. The Security Council's straw polls are expected to continue narrowing the field until the Council can formally recommend a candidate to the General Assembly for appointment.

Notably, this is the sixth such round, suggesting no single candidate has yet achieved the threshold needed — reflecting how competitive and geopolitically sensitive the selection process has become. The P5 veto dynamic means that a candidate broadly acceptable across major power blocs is essential, and that consensus is proving difficult to build quickly.

The Broader Significance

The UN secretary-general selection comes at a moment of heightened global tensions — from ongoing conflicts in multiple regions to climate negotiations and multilateral reform debates. The next occupant of the role will inherit an organisation under significant pressure to demonstrate relevance and effectiveness. The candidatures of figures like Grossi, who currently leads the IAEA amid nuclear safety concerns in conflict zones, and Grynspan, who heads UNCTAD amid global trade fragmentation, signal that member states are weighing institutional expertise heavily.