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Former Senegalese President Macky Sall has withdrawn from the race to become the next secretary-general of the United Nations following an informal Security Council poll that produced no clear favourite among the seven candidates.
Sall announced his decision on Saturday in a statement published on social media, saying he had taken note of the voting results and wanted to support efforts to produce a consensus candidate within the 15-member UN Security Council.
“I hoped to contribute now the emergence of a consensus candidate within the Security Council,” he said.
The former Senegalese leader also suggested that the results of successive informal polls pointed towards a possible preference for a candidate from Latin America and the Caribbean, potentially a woman.
“The results of different test votes indicate a choice favouring a candidate — perhaps female –from the Latin America-Caribbean region,” Sall said.
His withdrawal came a day after diplomats reported that all seven candidates in the contest had received at least one “discourage” vote in the informal polling exercise, indicating opposition from a permanent member of the Security Council in a process that can reveal potential vetoes.
Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan, who has featured among the leading candidates in five previous rounds of polling, reportedly received the highest number of “encourage” votes. However, she also received five “discourage” votes, including two from permanent members of the council, complicating her prospects.
US media reports have suggested that Washington opposes all seven candidates, although the informal voting process does not constitute a final decision on the appointment.
Several names emerge in succession debate
Other candidates in the race include Guyana’s former foreign minister, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett; Rafael Grossi of Argentina, who heads the International Atomic Energy Agency; Ecuadorian candidates Ivonne A-Baki and María Fernanda Espinosa; and Uganda’s Olara Otunnu.
Diplomats have also mentioned other possible contenders who could enter the race, including Nickolay Mladenov, the high representative for Gaza under the US-backed Board of Peace, and Lana Nusseibeh, the United Arab Emirates’ minister of state for foreign affairs.
Feridun Hadi Sinirlioglu, secretary-general of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, has also been floated as a potential candidate.
The emergence of additional names highlights the uncertainty surrounding the succession process as member states seek a candidate capable of securing sufficient support in the Security Council.
Security Council holds key to appointment
The next secretary-general will succeed António Guterres of Portugal, whose second five-year term is due to end on December 31, 2026.
Under the UN Charter, the secretary-general is appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council. A candidate therefore needs to secure the required support in the council while avoiding a veto from any of its five permanent members: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The 15-member council includes 10 elected members and the five permanent members, which hold veto powers on substantive decisions.
Although a candidate generally needs at least nine affirmative votes, support from that number alone is insufficient if a permanent member casts a veto.
The divisions among the major powers have therefore added uncertainty to the selection process, with the informal polls serving as an indication of candidates’ levels of support and opposition.
Sall’s withdrawal further changes the field as the United Nations prepares to select a successor to Guterres, who has led the organisation since January 2017.
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