Macky Sall faces uphill battle for UN Secretary-General position after second straw poll

Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett of Guyana currently leads the pack, with Sall trailing behind a strong Latin American contingent. Sall, who previously led Senegal and the African Union, received 6 "encourage" votes, 7 "discourage" votes, and 2 "no opinion" votes. This places him significantly behind the leading candidates, including Rodrigues-Birkett 8 "encourage", Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica 7 "encourage", and Rafael Grossi of Argentina 7 "encourage".

The current dynamic suggests a potential advantage for a candidate from the Americas due to an unwritten rule of geographical rotation. To secure the nomination, Sall needs at least nine favorable votes from the Security Council members without a veto from any of the five permanent members. Despite the challenging results, the selection process is complex and unpredictable, with the possibility of new candidacies emerging.

The final decision rests with the Security Council, which will recommend a candidate to the General Assembly before António Guterres's term ends on December 31, 2026.