Guyana's ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett has emerged as the frontrunner in the race to become the next United Nations secretary-general, topping the Security Council's second informal straw poll held on Friday.
Rodrigues-Birkett secured eight encourage votes from the council's 15 members, with three discourage votes and four offering no opinion. Costa Rica's Rebeca Grynspan and Argentina's Rafael Grossi each received seven encourage votes, though Grossi drew six discourage votes. Grynspan, who led the first round of balloting in July, received four discourage votes. Former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet and former Senegalese President Macky Sall trailed with more discourage than encourage votes.
The selection process seeks a successor to Antonio Guterres, whose second term expires on December 31. Other candidates include Maria Fernanda Espinosa and Olara Otunnu.