UN leadership race enters crucial phase

Nominations for the job had been received as late as last week and include: *Michelle Bachelet – former Chilean President, head of UN Women and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; *Maria Fernanda Espinosa – former Ecuadorian Minister of Foreign Affairs and President of the UN General Assembly; *Rafael Grossi – Argentinian diplomat and current Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency; *Rebeca Grynspan – former Vice President of Costa Rica and the current head of the UN Conference on Trade and Development; *Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett – a former Guyanese Foreign Minister and currently its Ambassador to the UN; *Macky Sall – former President of Senegal; *And veteran Ugandan diplomat Olara Otunni – nominated just days ago and not part of the debate where candidates were asked what made them the best person to lead the United Nations.

The race to become the next Secretary-General of the United Nations enters a critical new phase on Thursday when the Security Council holds its first informal straw poll to test support for the candidates seeking to lead the organisation.” The UN Security Council begins the process of selecting one of these candidates on Thursday but a final recommendation to the General Assembly that appoints the next UN Chief is at least weeks if not months away.