Four women are among the candidates to succeed United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres, but the Security Council must agree on a nominee before the organization can appoint its first woman leader.
Guterres’ term ends Dec. 31, 2026. All nine people who have served as secretary-general have been men. The General Assembly addressed that record in a Sept. 5, 2025, resolution urging member states to give strong consideration to nominating women. It did not impose a gender requirement.
The UN’s candidate record names Rebeca Grynspan Mayufis of Costa Rica, Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett of Guyana, María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés of Ecuador and Ivonne A-Baki of Ecuador. It also records the withdrawal of Michelle Bachelet Jeria’s nomination, effective Sept. 21.
The Associated Press and Spanish newspaper El País reported that Grynspan received nine “encourage” votes in a confidential Council straw poll on Oct. 16. They said two permanent members cast “discourage” ballots for her. The Council has not released the tally, and the outlets reported no clear consensus candidate.
Those informal ballots indicate support or opposition but are not a final decision. A formal Council recommendation needs at least nine affirmative votes and can be blocked by a negative vote from any of the five permanent members. The General Assembly then makes the appointment.
Latin America is widely regarded as next in line under a regional rotation custom, according to a UN explainer. That rotation is not a formal selection rule.
In 2016, seven of the 13 candidates considered were women, and the General Assembly appointed Guterres. GWL Voices, an advocacy group, argues that past nomination and selection practices have narrowed women’s access to the secretary-general’s office. Its historical review identifies Latvia’s Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga in 2006 as the first woman formally considered for the job.
GWL Voices President and founder Susana Malcorra raised the question of “whether merit has been defined and recognized fairly.” In a report using data updated to 2025, the group found that women led 46% of 62 organizations studied. Women held an average 29% of seats across 32 governing bodies it measured and 23% of UN permanent representative posts in New York.
The Associated Press reported that another straw poll was expected after Oct. 16. The Council must recommend a candidate before the General Assembly can appoint Guterres’ successor.
