Turkey has formally nominated Ambassador Feridun Sinirlioglu for the post of the next United Nations secretary-general, the country's permanent representative to the UN announced, as Rebecca Grynspan (Costa Rica) strengthened her lead in the latest informal Security Council vote.
"As Turkey's Permanent Representative to the UN, today I submitted the candidacy of Ambassador Feridun Sinirlioglu for the position of UN Secretary-General through a letter from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan," Turkey's UN envoy Ahmet Yildiz said.
In the seventh informal Security Council straw poll to select the next UN Secretary-General, Grynspan consolidated her lead, receiving 11 encouragement votes and four discouragement votes.
Rafael Grossi (Argentina) followed with nine encouragement votes, four discouragement votes and two "no opinion" votes while Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett (Guyana) received eight encouragement votes, six discouragement votes and one “no opinion” vote.
The United Arab Emirates’ Lana Nusseibeh, participating in the process for the first time and with the support of the Republic of Cyprus among other member states, received seven encouragement votes, six discouragement votes and two "no opinion" votes.
P5 vetos unknown
The vote took place during closed consultations held under Greece's presidency of the Security Council. There were no coloured ballots meaning it is not possible to know if and with who the permament members of the Security Council cast a ‘discouragement’ vote.
Other candidates in the race include Ivonne A-Baki (Ecuador), Olara Otunnu (Uganda), Maria Fernanda Espinosa (Ecuador), and now Turkey’s Sinirlioglu, who’s candidacy was not included in the seventh informal straw poll.
Nusseibeh joined the contest after the UAE formally submitted her candidacy on 21 October. Former Senegalese president Macky Sall has withdrawn from the race.
The Security Council plans to submit its recommendation to the General Assembly in time to allow the new secretary-general "sufficient time to prepare for his duties".
The Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council. A recommendation requires at least nine votes in favour and no veto from any of the five permanent members: the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom.
