The contest to choose the next secretary-general of the United Nations is entering a decisive phase, and frontrunner Rebeca Grynspan is making her case in blunt terms: the 193-member body has become "too risk-averse" and its next leader must be willing to bear "the cost of rejection, the cost of failure, and try again." The former Costa Rican vice president and current head of the UN's trade and development arm gave the assessment in an exclusive Reuters interview published Thursday, October 15, just ahead of a new Security Council straw poll scheduled for Friday.
What Happened
Grynspan, 70, has come out ahead in four out of five informal Security Council straw polls so far, obtaining nine votes in favor in the most recent round, according to diplomats cited by Reuters. If elected, she would become the first female secretary-general in the organization's 80-year history.
Securing the job requires at least nine positive votes out of the 15 Security Council members — and, crucially, no "discourage" vote from any of the five veto-wielding permanent members: the United States, China, Russia, France, and Britain. Friday's poll is the first to use color-coded ballots that reveal whether opposition comes from a veto power, making it the most consequential test of Grynspan's support yet, Reuters reported.
Grynspan told Reuters she "wouldn't be surprised" if a veto power cast a discouraging vote against her — but noted such opposition has been overcome in past secretary-general races. "The game is not over — we will have to continue working," she said, adding that she expects new candidates to enter the race after the Friday vote.
Background
Grynspan is an economist who previously served as Costa Rica's vice president before taking the helm of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). There, she cut 20% of posts while sharpening the agency's focus — experience she is now wielding as proof she can reform an institution under siege.
The UN is under pressure from multiple directions. It was largely sidelined in the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, its peacekeeping and humanitarian budgets are shrinking, and the administration of US President Donald Trump has pushed for sweeping cost cuts and a sharper focus on core peacekeeping. US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz has publicly criticized what he called bureaucratic "bloat" and duplication across UN agencies, according to Reuters reporting.
Antonio Guterres, the current secretary-general, finishes his second five-year term on December 31, 2026. By tradition, the post rotates by region — and this is Latin America's turn, though African contenders are also in the mix. The declared field currently numbers seven candidates, four of them women, after former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet dropped out, according to Associated Press reporting from the September General Assembly session.
Among the other leading names is Guyana's UN ambassador, Caroline Rodrigues-Birkett. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in September that both Grynspan and Rodrigues-Birkett "meet the criteria" for the role, per AP reporting. At the same session, East Timor's President José Ramos-Horta told leaders it was "well past time" for a woman to hold the post, lamenting what Botswana's president called "an unfinished chapter in the history of this organization."
Why It Matters
The choice of the UN's next leader will shape the institution for the next decade — potentially five years, likely ten — at a moment when multilateralism itself is on trial. The UN's marginalization in major conflicts has fueled a crisis of relevance, and Grynspan's diagnosis of institutional risk-aversion resonates beyond the race: an organization that avoids failure also avoids the diplomatic gambles that sometimes end wars.
Her reform pitch carries a warning embedded in it. "Cost cutting is not enough," she told Reuters. "Yes, you can cut costs and make everything worse. If you don't reform, you will do everything worse than before." For an institution being told by its largest funder to shrink, the distinction between smart reform and destructive austerity is the entire debate.
The gender dimension is historically loaded. In 80 years, the UN has never been led by a woman. With four women among seven declared candidates and vocal support from heads of state, 2026 is widely seen as the strongest opening yet for breaking the streak — though the veto powers, who hold the real decision, have stayed publicly silent on their preferences.
What Happens Next
- Friday's straw poll (Oct 16): The first poll using color-coded ballots will reveal whether Grynspan faces opposition from a veto-wielding permanent member.
- New entrants: Grynspan expects senior figures — including former and current foreign ministers and country leaders — to join the race after Friday's vote, according to diplomats cited by Reuters.
- Further polls: The Security Council will continue informal polling until a candidate secures nine votes with no veto-member objection.
- General Assembly vote: Once the Council agrees on a nominee, the 193-member General Assembly formally elects the new secretary-general ahead of Guterres's December 31 departure.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Rebeca Grynspan?
A Costa Rican economist, former vice president of Costa Rica, and current head of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). She is the frontrunner to become the next UN secretary-general, according to Reuters.
Why is this race historic?
If elected, Grynspan would be the first woman to lead the United Nations in its 80-year history. Four of the seven declared candidates are women.
How is the UN secretary-general chosen?
The 15-member Security Council must recommend a candidate with at least nine positive votes and no "discourage" vote from the five veto powers (US, China, Russia, France, Britain). The 193-member General Assembly then formally elects the nominee.
What did Grynspan mean by "too risk-averse"?
She argued the UN avoids diplomatic risks to dodge failure, and that the next leader must accept "the cost of rejection, the cost of failure, and try again" — citing Haiti as a case where the UN should persist rather than retreat, per her Reuters interview.
When does the new secretary-general take office?
Antonio Guterres's second five-year term ends December 31, 2026. His successor's five-year term begins January 1, 2027, once the Security Council and General Assembly complete the selection process.
Sources
- Reuters (reporting by Antoni Slodkowski, edited by Howard Goller) — "Exclusive: UN chief frontrunner Rebeca Grynspan says UN has 'become too risk-averse'" (October 15, 2026)
- Associated Press (via USA Today network) — "As the UN ponders its next secretary-general, many say it's well past time for a woman to lead" (September-October 2026 coverage)
- Devdiscourse / BusinessWorld Online — syndicated Reuters coverage of the Grynspan interview (October 16, 2026)
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