First UN Security Council Straw Vote Highlights Women Candidates for UNCTAD Head

The United Nations Security Council conducted its inaugural informal straw poll on July 31, revealing a strong showing for female candidates vying for the UNCTAD Secretary‑General position. Rebecca Grinspun, a former Costa Rican Vice‑President, led the field with ten favorable votes, while Guyana’s ex‑Foreign Minister Caroline Rodrigues‑Birkett earned nine positives, placing her second.

The poll, overseen by the independent watchdog group 1F8B, recorded one negative vote for Grinspun and two for Rodrigues‑Birkett, with the remaining votes split among neutral positions. The Council’s 15‑member composition uses secret ballots to test candidate support before presenting a single nominee to the General Assembly, which customarily endorses the choice.

Other contenders included Rafael Grosis of the International Atomic Energy Agency, who garnered two negative votes for his outspoken critique of Russian attacks on Ukraine’s nuclear facility, and former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, who attracted five negatives due to her human‑rights assessments. Senegal’s former President Macky Sall and former Assembly President Maria Fernanda Espinosa also participated, receiving minimal opposition.

The vote underscores a growing movement within the UN to elect its first female Secretary‑General for UNCTAD and to restore Latin American representation after a 35‑year gap. The process will continue with colored ballots for the five permanent members to signal any potential vetoes before a final decision is forwarded to the General Assembly.