Following last week’s first straw poll, Denmark is targeting August 21 for a second Security Council ballot that could show whether support is beginning to move—or whether the contest to succeed António Guterres remains broadly open.
UNITED NATIONS — Denmark is aiming to schedule the next informal Security Council poll in the race to select the next United Nations Secretary-General for August 21.
The proposed ballot follows last week’s first straw poll, covered by SDG News Insider, which provided an initial measure of support and opposition across the seven-candidate field without producing a consensus choice.
According to results reported by diplomats, Rebeca Grynspan received 10 “encourage” votes, followed by Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett with nine and Rafael Grossi with seven. Michelle Bachelet and Macky Sall each received six “encourage votes”, María Fernanda Espinosa received five, and Olara Otunnu received two.
Every candidate also received at least one “discourage” vote. The results were not formally released by the Security Council.
For governments following the succession, the significance of the second poll will lie less in the ranking itself than in how each candidate’s support, opposition and no-opinion totals change.
The Immediate Signal
Danish Ambassador Christina Markus Lassen, whose country holds the Security Council presidency for August, said members were “aiming for and hoping to schedule” the next poll for August 21.
The wording indicates that the date remains a target rather than a formally confirmed fixture. Lassen also suggested that the Council is not yet close to identifying a candidate around whom members can converge.
The second ballot is therefore expected to function primarily as another test of the field.
An increase in encourage votes could indicate that a candidate’s acceptability is broadening. A rise in discourage votes could point to growing resistance. Little movement may suggest that Council members are preserving their positions while assessing the field or considering whether additional candidates may enter.
The Seven-Candidate Field
Grynspan enters the anticipated second round with the highest reported support and the lowest number of discourage votes: 10 encourage, one discourage and four no opinion.
Rodrigues-Birkett received nine encourage votes, two discourage votes and four no opinion, placing her one encourage vote behind Grynspan in the opening round.
Grossi received seven encourage votes, two discourage votes and six no opinion. The relatively large no-opinion total leaves considerable uncertainty around how his position could evolve in subsequent rounds.
Bachelet received six encourage votes, five discourage votes and four no opinion.
Sall also received six encourage votes, alongside seven discourage votes and two no opinion—the highest discourage total in the first round.
Espinosa received five encourage votes, two discourage votes and eight no opinion. Her no-opinion total was tied for the highest in the field.
Otunnu received two encourage votes, five discourage votes and eight no opinion.
The totals establish different starting positions, but they do not identify the governments supporting or opposing each candidate. Nor do they reveal whether any discourage vote came from a permanent Security Council member.
What Missions Should Watch
The clearest signal will be movement between the first and second rounds.
For Grynspan and Rodrigues-Birkett, the question is whether either can increase support while avoiding additional opposition.
For Grossi, the disposition of the six Council members that recorded no opinion may be particularly consequential.
For Bachelet and Sall, the balance between encourage and discourage votes will remain central to assessments of their viability.
For Espinosa and Otunnu, both of whom received eight no-opinion votes, the second poll may provide a clearer indication of whether those positions begin shifting toward encouragement, discouragement or remain unresolved.
The Council’s treatment of color-coded ballots will also be closely watched. Early straw polls use identical ballots, preventing candidates and governments from determining whether opposition comes from one of the five permanent members: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom or the United States.
At a later stage, permanent members traditionally use ballots of a different color, exposing potential veto-level opposition. Lassen said she would not assume that color-coded ballots would be introduced in the next round, indicating that the Council may not yet regard the process as sufficiently advanced.
The Diplomatic Calculation
The Security Council must eventually adopt a resolution recommending one candidate to the General Assembly. That decision requires at least nine affirmative votes and no veto from a permanent member.
Until color-coded ballots are introduced, the reported straw-poll totals provide only a partial picture. A candidate may have broad numerical support while still facing opposition from a permanent member, while another candidate’s discourage votes may come entirely from elected members.
Additional candidates can also still enter the contest, potentially altering the calculations of members that have not yet committed.
Historical precedent suggests that several rounds may be required. Reuters reported that polling could continue into late September or early October, and possibly longer if no consensus candidate emerges.
Diplomatic Outlook
The anticipated August 21 poll is unlikely to settle the succession. Its principal value will be comparative: whether support expands, opposition hardens or the field remains largely unchanged.
A clear increase in support for one or more candidates could begin narrowing the contest. Limited movement across the field would suggest that Council members remain unwilling to consolidate before the process reveals more about permanent-member preferences or potential additional nominations.
For missions following the race, the second poll may provide the first meaningful indication of whether the opening results were an early foundation for consensus—or simply the starting positions in a longer diplomatic negotiation.
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