A U.S. State Department spokesman urged the United Nations to go in a different direction when it selects its new secretary-general, as the U.N. Security Council readies on Friday for its third straw poll for the new chief, who will replace António Guterres.
The new global body leader must help the organization get “back to basics and publicly commit to the changes we require,” the Foggy Bottom spokesman said on Thursday in the department’s first public comments on the high-profile job search.
The next secretary-general ought to return the United Nations to “its primary purpose of maintaining peace and security in the world, rather than the absurd, politicized, woke ideology that has undermined the institution’s effectiveness,” the State Department said.
There is yet to be a clear frontrunner in the race, in which eight candidates remain to succeed Guterres at year’s end. On Friday, the 15 Security Council member states will vote “encourage,” “discourage” or “no opinion” on each candidate in a secret ballot.
The results won’t be released publicly, but in the past, they have invariably found their way to the media.
Friday’s vote won’t have color-coded ballots, meaning that it won’t be known if any of the five permanent council members—China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States—vote “discourage.”
To win, a candidate needs to secure nine “approval” votes and to avoid even a single veto from a permanent member of the Security Council.
Former Costa Rican vice president Rebeca Grynspan, a Jewish economist and U.N. executive, fell to second place in a second round of straw polling on Aug. 21. She got seven “encourage” and four “discourage” votes and four “no opinion” votes.
That was a steep drop from the 10 “encourage,” one “discourage” and four “no opinion” votes she secured in the first round in late July.
The daughter of Holocaust refugees, Grynspan has ties to Israel and is a longtime U.N. executive and the secretary-general of the U.N. Trade and Development agency.
Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, of Guyana, won the Aug. 21 straw poll with eight “encourage,” three “discourage” and four “no opinion” votes. (Technically, she fared better in the initial July poll, with nine “encourage,” two “discourage” and four “no opinion” votes.)
Rodrigues-Birkett was her country’s first female foreign affairs minister and served on the U.N. Security Council. She also previously chaired the G77 coalition of developing countries.
Rafael Grossi, of Argentina, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, struggled in the second poll, with seven “encourage,” six “discourage” and two “no opinion” votes.
María Fernanda Espinosa, of Ecuador, a former U.N. General Assembly president and Ecuadorian foreign affairs and defense minister, held steady with four “encourage,” three “discourage” and eight “no opinion” votes. The latter suggests that she still has room to shape opinions.
Former Chilean president Dr. Michelle Bachelet, a physician and former U.N. official, received just two “encourage” votes against six “discourage” and seven “no opinion” votes. She is anti-Israel.
The United States “is looking for a practical, driven and reform-focused candidate, who will safeguard the valuable contributions of member states, restore competent management and streamline the organization significantly,” the State Department spokesman said.
It isn’t immediately clear if U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio or other high-level American officials intend to meet with candidates next week at the U.N. General Assembly high-level debate week.
“U.S. officials routinely meet with a wide range of political figures around the world,” the Foggy Bottom spokesman said. “As a matter of general policy, we do not comment on private diplomatic discussions.”
Friday’s straw poll will likely signal if the race will stay fragmented, which could open the door for more candidates to enter, or if the council has started to coalesce around a frontrunner or two.
“The election for the next secretary-general is a test for the future of the United Nations,” Danny Danon, Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, has said. “After years of bias, failure and eroded trust, the organization needs a leader who is prepared to change the system.”
Israel hasn’t supported or commented on any candidate publicly.
“Israel will evaluate the candidates based on their record and their willingness to stand up to terrorism, antisemitism and hypocrisy,” the Israeli envoy said.
