Former Senegalese President Macky Sall has withdrawn from the race to become the next United Nations secretary-general, a day after an informal UN Security Council poll failed to produce a clear favourite.
Sall announced his decision in a statement posted on social media on Saturday, saying he had taken note of the poll results and hoped to help the council reach a consensus on a candidate.
He said, “hoped to contribute now the emergence of a consensus candidate within the Security Council”.
Sall added that “the results of different test votes indicate a choice favouring a candidate — perhaps female –from the Latin America-Caribbean region.”
A UN diplomat said on Friday that all seven candidates received at least one “discourage” vote in the anonymous informal poll, effectively signalling opposition from a permanent member of the Security Council.
Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan, who had emerged as a leading contender in five previous polls, received the highest number of “encourage” votes. However, she also received five “discourage” votes, including two from permanent members of the 15-member council.
US media reports suggested that Washington opposed all seven candidates.
More candidates could enter the race
Diplomats have identified several potential contenders who could enter the race, including Nickolay Mladenov, the high representative for Gaza under the US-backed Board of Peace, and Lana Nusseibeh, the United Arab Emirates’ minister of state for foreign affairs.
Turkey’s Feridun Hadi Sinirlioglu, secretary-general of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, has also been mentioned as a possible candidate.
The other candidates in the race include former Guyanese Foreign Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett; Rafael Grossi of Argentina, who heads the UN nuclear watchdog; Ecuador’s Ivonne A-Baki and Maria Fernanda Espinosa; and Uganda’s Olara Otunnu.
Sall’s withdrawal leaves the selection process open as the Security Council continues efforts to identify a candidate capable of securing sufficient support.
Security Council holds key to appointment
The outgoing secretary-general, António Guterres of Portugal, is due to complete his second five-year term on December 31.
Under the UN selection process, a candidate must secure at least nine votes from the 15-member Security Council and avoid a veto from any of its five permanent members: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The permanent members’ divisions have complicated the process, with the informal poll highlighting opposition to all seven candidates.
The Security Council will ultimately recommend a candidate for appointment by the UN General Assembly