Costa Rican diplomat emerges as strong contender to be first female head of UN
Rebeca Grynspan seen as continuity candidate with tacit support from current secretary general, António Guterres
TL;DR
- Rebeca Grynspan, a Costa Rican diplomat, is the leading candidate to be the next UN Secretary General, potentially becoming the first woman in the role.
- Grynspan, whose parents were Holocaust refugees, secured the most 'encourage' votes in an initial straw poll by the UN Security Council.
- Her closest rival is Carolyn Rodrigues-Burkett of Guyana, with Grynspan having a slight edge based on the poll results.
- The UNCTAD, led by Grynspan, has extensively documented the economic damage caused by Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories.
- The current Secretary General, António Guterres, will finish his second term in December 2026, and the next leader is expected to be from Latin America.
- Grynspan's election would make her the UN's first Jewish secretary general.