New York, July 30 (V7N)- The United Nations Security Council is set to hold its first informal secret ballot, known as a “straw poll,” as part of the process to select the next UN Secretary-General.
The voting process, scheduled for Thursday (July 30), will assess the level of support among member states for the seven candidates currently competing for the top position of the world body.
The current UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will complete his second consecutive five-year term in December this year, ending a decade-long tenure. Candidates from Latin America and Africa are currently leading the race to succeed him.
The seven candidates in the contest are from Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guyana, Senegal and Uganda.
In the informal ballot, representatives from the 15 members of the Security Council will express one of three positions regarding each candidate: “support,” “do not support,” or “no opinion.”
The straw poll process is usually conducted through several rounds and may continue until late September or early October before reaching a final stage.
However, the selection process could take longer if disagreements arise among member states over suitable candidates or if reaching a consensus becomes difficult.
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