Former Senegalese President Macky Sall withdraws from running for top UN post

Former Senegalese President Macky Sall has withdrawn from the race to become the next United Nations secretary-general following an informal Security Council poll that produced no clear favorite among the seven candidates.

Sall announced his decision Saturday in a statement posted on social media, saying he had taken note of the results of the vote and wanted to support efforts to produce a consensus candidate within the 15-member United Nations Security Council.

“I hope to now contribute to the emergence of a consensus candidate within the Security Council,” he said.

The former Senegalese leader also suggested that the results of subsequent informal polls indicated a possible preference for a candidate from Latin America and the Caribbean, potentially a woman.

“The results of the different test votes indicate a choice in favor of a candidate – perhaps a woman – from the Latin America and Caribbean region,” Sall said.

His withdrawal came a day after diplomats reported that all seven candidates in the running had received at least one “discouragement” rating in the informal poll, indicating opposition from a permanent member of the Security Council in a process that can reveal potential vetoes.

Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan, who had been among the leading candidates in five previous elections, would have received the most “encouragement” votes. However, it also received five “discouragement” votes, including two from permanent board members, complicating its prospects.

US media reports suggest that Washington opposes all seven nominees, although the informal voting process does not constitute a final decision on the nomination.

Several names emerge in the succession debate

Other candidates in the running include Guyana’s former Foreign Minister, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett; Rafael Grossi of Argentina, who heads the International Atomic Energy Agency; the Ecuadorian candidates Ivonne A-Baki and María Fernanda Espinosa; and Olara Otunnu of Uganda.

Diplomats also mentioned other possible contenders who could enter the race, including Nickolay Mladenov, the high representative of Gaza under the U.S.-backed Peace Council, and Lana Nusseibeh, the United Arab Emirates’ minister of foreign affairs.

Feridun Hadi Sinirlioglu, secretary general of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, has also been mentioned as a potential candidate.

The emergence of additional names highlights the uncertainty surrounding the succession process as member states search for a candidate who can gain sufficient support in the Security Council.

The Security Council holds the key to the appointment

The next secretary-general will succeed Portugal’s António Guterres, whose second five-year term expires on 31 December 2026.

According to the United Nations Charter, the Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council. A candidate must therefore secure the necessary support in the council by avoiding a veto from any of its five permanent members: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The 15-member council includes 10 elected members and five permanent members, who hold veto power over substantive decisions.

Although a candidate generally needs at least nine affirmative votes, support from that number alone is not enough if a permanent member casts a veto.

Divisions between major powers have therefore added uncertainty to the selection process, with informal polls serving as an indication of candidates’ levels of support and opposition.

Sall’s retirement further changes the playing field as the United Nations prepares to select a successor to Guterres, who has led the organization since January 2017.