By The NewzZone

Uganda’s candidate for the United Nations Secretary-General position, Olara Otunnu, has suffered another setback after receiving four votes in support of his candidacy and 11 against in the latest informal Security Council poll.

The seventh straw poll, conducted on October 30, saw Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan maintain her position as the leading contender, securing 11 “encourage” votes, four “discourage” votes and no abstentions.

Argentina’s Rafael Grossi followed with nine votes in support, four against and two members expressing no opinion. Guyana’s Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett secured eight “encourage” votes, six “discourage” votes and one “no opinion” vote.

The United Arab Emirates’ candidate, Lana Nusseibeh, who was formally nominated on October 21, received seven votes in support, six against and two with no opinion.

Otunnu’s performance placed him fifth among the seven candidates included in the results published by PassBlue. Ecuador’s María Fernanda Espinosa received two votes in support, 10 against and three with no opinion, while Ivonne Baki recorded the lowest backing, with one “encourage” vote and 14 “discourage” votes.

Otunnu struggles to gain Council support

The latest figures indicate that Otunnu continues to face difficulties attracting support among members of the 15-member Security Council.

His four positive votes remain unchanged from the sixth straw poll conducted on October 16. However, the number of members opposing his candidacy increased from 10 to 11, suggesting that his campaign has yet to make significant progress.

A former UN Under-Secretary-General and Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Otunnu has based his campaign on institutional reforms, strengthening the organisation’s credibility and promoting consistent respect for human rights across the world.

Grynspan leads the contest

Grynspan’s performance puts her ahead of the other contenders, with Grossi and Rodrigues-Birkett trailing behind in the latest assessment.

Despite the emerging frontrunners, the straw polls are informal and do not constitute a final decision on the next UN Secretary-General.

Under the UN appointment process, the Security Council must recommend a candidate to the General Assembly, which then makes the formal appointment. The five permanent members — China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States — can block a recommendation through their veto powers.

The incoming Secretary-General will replace António Guterres, whose second five-year term is scheduled to end on December 31, 2026.