NEW YORK — Grynspan is the current head of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), a role she has held since 13 September 2021. Under an informal system of regional rotation, the next UN Secretary General is expected to come from Latin America. A candidate for the position needs nine positive votes and no veto by a Security Council member to secure the nomination. The new UN Secretary General must be elected by the end of the year.

The UN Security Council has five permanent and 10 temporary members. The UN General Assembly has 193 members. The UN Secretary General is elected to serve an initial four-year term. The UN is undergoing 20% job cuts.

Grynspan frames her candidacy as a testament to the power of peace, citing her parents' experience as Holocaust refugees finding dignity in Costa Rica. "Peace is what made it possible for my parents, two refugees from the second world war, to find respect and dignity in a small country, Costa Rica," Grynspan said. Her parents emigrated to Central America from Poland. Her maternal grandparents were killed by the Nazis.

"I am the daughter of this peace, a demonstration of what peace makes possible," Grynspan said. Her family connections extend to the Middle East. Her sister moved to Israel as a 17-year-old to study chemistry at the Hebrew University. Her niece and nephew have completed compulsory service in the Israel Defense Forces.

Carolyn Rodrigues-Burkett, Guyana’s former UN envoy, received nine 'encourage' votes, two 'discourage' votes, and four 'no opinion' votes in the UN Security Council straw poll. At a Bloomberg-sponsored debate at the General Assembly last month, Rodrigues-Burkett secured 49% of the vote among attendees. Grynspan secured 14% of the vote among attendees at the same event.

Other candidates for UN Secretary General include Rafael Grossi, the Argentinian diplomat who is director general of the UN’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency. Macky Sall, a former prime minister and president of Senegal, is a candidate for UN Secretary General. Maria Fernanda Espinosa, former foreign minister of Ecuador, is a candidate for UN Secretary General.

Michelle Bachelet, the former president of Chile and a former UN human rights commissioner, is also a candidate. The US government claims Bachelet was soft on China’s human rights record during her tenure. Gianni Infantino is the President of FIFA.

Grynspan has addressed economic issues in conflict zones during her tenure at UNCTAD. In November 2025, she stated that Gaza’s GDP per capita had fallen to $161 per person per year. UNCTAD published a report in February 2026 stating that the Palestinian economy lost an estimated $212.2bn (in constant 2015 dollars) from 2000 to 2024.

The report stated that the estimated loss is equivalent to nearly 20 times the entire Palestinian GDP of 2024. The report attributed the economic loss to Israeli occupation policies, restrictions, closures, and recurrent military operations.

The selection process occurs as the UN undergoes significant structural changes, including 20% job cuts. The informal regional rotation system favors a Latin American candidate, narrowing the field to contenders such as Grynspan, Rodrigues-Burkett, and Espinosa. The requirement for nine positive votes without a veto from any of the five permanent Security Council members sets a high threshold for consensus. The election must conclude by the end of the year to ensure a seamless transition before Guterres departs on 31 December 2026.

Why It Matters

The selection of the next UN Secretary General occurs as the organization implements 20% job cuts, meaning the new leader will immediately manage a significantly reduced workforce. The informal regional rotation system favoring Latin America narrows the field, yet the requirement for nine Security Council votes without a veto sets a high threshold for consensus among the 193-member General Assembly. With the election deadline set for the end of the year, the outcome determines who will guide the UN through these structural changes during an initial four-year term.