NEW YORK CITY — The UN Security Council will hold an initial round of informal closed-door straw poll ballots on Thursday, July 30, 2026. Seven candidates are vying to become the next UN secretary-general.

Zenon Mukongo Ngay, UN ambassador of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and current Security Council president, confirmed on Tuesday that the first round of straw polls would take place on Thursday morning. He stated that Olara Otunnu would be included in the straw polls despite not having participated in informal hearings completed by other candidates.

Olara Otunnu, a diplomat from Uganda, is a candidate for UN secretary-general. He entered the race for UN secretary-general one week prior to July 29, 2026.

The other candidates for UN secretary-general are from Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guyana, and Senegal. Rafael Grossi of Argentina is a candidate for UN secretary-general and serves as head of the UN nuclear watchdog. Michelle Bachelet, former president of Chile, is a candidate for UN secretary-general.

Rebeca Grynspan, former vice president of Costa Rica, is a candidate for UN secretary-general. Maria Fernanda Espinosa, former foreign minister of Ecuador, is a candidate for UN secretary-general. Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, former foreign minister of Guyana, is a candidate for UN secretary-general. Macky Sall, former president of Senegal, is a candidate for UN secretary-general.

António Guterres of Portugal will step down as UN secretary-general at the end of 2026 after completing two five-year terms. Other candidates can still join the contest for UN secretary-general.

Straw polls are informal, non-binding votes conducted among the 15 members of the UN Security Council. Security Council members indicate whether they 'encourage,' 'discourage,' or have 'no opinion' on each candidate during straw polls. Straw poll ballots are secret and only Security Council members are present during the voting exercise.

In early rounds of straw polls, identical ballots are used to show overall support without revealing veto-wielding permanent member opposition. The five veto-wielding permanent members of the Security Council are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In later stages of straw polls, permanent members use a different colored ballot to reveal if a candidate received a 'discourage' vote from a permanent member.

The Security Council adopts a resolution recommending a secretary-general appointment to the 193-member UN General Assembly. The Security Council resolution requires nine votes in favor and no vetoes from permanent members.

Olara Otunnu's CV states that he invented the system of straw polls to choose a new secretary-general while serving as president of the Security Council in 1981. In 1981, Ugandan diplomat Olara Otunnu invented the current system of UN Security Council straw polls while serving as Council president, according to his CV cited in a 2026 PassBlue article.

The UN Security Council's resolution recommending a secretary-general candidate is traditionally adopted behind closed doors, according to a 2026 Straits Times article. The UN General Assembly traditionally acts as a rubber stamp for Security Council recommendations on secretary-general appointments, per a 2026 Straits Times report. The United Nations Security Council was established in 1945. United Nations Security Council is one of the six principal organs of the UN, charged with the maintenance of international peace and security, according to reports.