Sunday, August 2nd 2026 - 20:11 UTC
Bachelet, 74, a former executive director of UN Women and former high commissioner for human rights, faces an unusual situation: her candidacy lacks the backing of her own country's government
Former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet placed fourth in the Security Council's first informal poll on the candidates seeking to succeed António Guterres at the head of the United Nations, held behind closed doors in New York on Thursday.
According to figures attributed to diplomatic sources, Costa Rica's Rebeca Grynspan led the round with ten encouraging votes, one against and four no-opinion ballots, followed by Guyana's Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett with nine, two and four, and Argentina's Rafael Grossi with seven, five and three. Bachelet received six votes in favor, five against and four no-opinion. Behind her came Senegal's Macky Sall, Ecuador's María Fernanda Espinosa and Uganda's Olara Otunnu, who entered the race in recent days.
The outcome is formally secret. The Council's rotating president, Congolese Ambassador Zénon Mukongo Ngay, confirmed the poll had taken place without releasing figures, and how each of the fifteen members voted is not known. The straw polls are informal and non-binding, intended to test the viability of candidacies before the Council recommends a name to the General Assembly. Guterres's term ends on December 31.
