Five Powers Hold Veto in UN Leadership Race

The United States, China, Russia, France and the United Kingdom can each block a candidate for United Nations secretary-general, and the Security Council still hasn't agreed on who will take the post. Lana Nusseibeh, a UAE minister of state and former ambassador to the United Nations, entered the race Wednesday, October 21, adding another candidate as the council weighs who will lead the organization beginning January 1, 2027.

Who Controls the Appointment

A candidate needs at least nine votes from the 15-member Security Council, with no opposition from any of its five permanent members. Once the council agrees on a candidate, the UN General Assembly must formally appoint the secretary-general. The council's informal voting records support, but permanent members still have the power to stop a candidate from advancing.

In the October 16 informal vote, Costa Rica's Rebeca Grynspan received nine votes in favor, five against and one expressing no opinion. Two opposing votes came from permanent members, though officials didn't identify their countries. The ballots weren't formal vetoes. But they showed resistance from two governments that can block an appointment.

Argentina's Rafael Grossi and Guyana's Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett each received eight supporting votes in that round. No candidate secured the agreement required to move forward. The council was discussing whether to hold another informal vote on Friday or postpone it while negotiations continued; no date for the next round had been confirmed.

A New Candidate, No Reported Backers

Nusseibeh said several countries had encouraged her to consider running during recent UN General Assembly meetings. She has taken leave from her government position to pursue the job. No Security Council member has been reported to back her, and no voting results for her candidacy have been reported.

She called for the United Nations to take a more active role in resolving international conflicts instead of simply responding to them. Nusseibeh served as her country's ambassador to the United Nations from 2013 until 2024 and has extensive experience working with the Security Council. In December 2023, she helped negotiate a resolution intended to increase humanitarian aid entering Gaza.

Her candidacy brings a regional contest into the leadership race. Latin American countries have argued that their region should provide the next secretary-general, while a growing push calls for a woman to lead the organization for the first time. Nusseibeh would meet the call for a female secretary-general but represent the Middle East rather than Latin America.

Campaign Proposals Meet Council Rules

Grynspan, a former Costa Rican vice president, continued to lead the informal voting despite the opposition. She said her campaign remained active and stressed that the Security Council hadn't held a formal vote, and countries could still change their positions.

Costa Rica's President Laura Fernández met Grynspan at Casa Presidencial on Monday, reaffirmed the government's support and announced plans to contact other Latin American leaders for additional backing. Grynspan previously headed the UN Conference on Trade and Development and spent much of her subsequent career in international diplomacy. She served as Costa Rica's vice president from 1994 to 1998.

Grynspan has proposed making the organization more efficient, reducing overlapping responsibilities and strengthening its ability to respond to international crises. Those proposals face an appointment process requiring nine council votes, with any one of five permanent members able to block a candidate. If selected, Grynspan would become the first Costa Rican and the first woman to lead the United Nations.

Fewer than three months remain before António Guterres leaves office on December 31. The council still hasn't agreed on his successor. Nusseibeh's candidacy gives governments another option; the latest reported informal vote still placed Grynspan ahead of her competitors.