China to decide between two Latin American women for UN leadership after Security Council deadlock
Quick Look
China is weighing Costa Rican economist Rebeca Grynspan and Guyana's UN ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett to lead the UN after three rounds of informal Security Council voting failed to produce a consensus, while ruling out Argentine IAEA chief Rafael Grossi, the US-backed candidate.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Three rounds of informal voting in the UN Security Council failed to produce a consensus candidate for UN leadership, prompting China to weigh two Latin American contenders after ruling out the US-backed IAEA chief.
China is poised to decide which of two Latin American women becomes the first to lead the United Nations, after three rounds of informal voting in the Security Council failed to produce a favourite.
Several UN delegations that spoke to the South China Morning Post over the past three days said Beijing was weighing Rebeca Grynspan, the Costa Rican economist who heads UN Trade and Development, and Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Guyana’s ambassador to the UN.
The same delegations said China had ruled out Rafael Grossi, the Argentine director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Grossi is widely seen as Washington’s preferred candidate and was nominated last year by Argentine President Javier Milei.
China has kept cordial but cooler relations with Milei since his 2023 presidential campaign, when he called the Chinese government “assassins” and promised to cut ties in favour of the “civilised side of life”.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
China will announce its support for either Rebeca Grynspan or Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett as the next UN leader within the coming weeks.
Likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- Which candidate will China ultimately support?
- When will the formal vote take place?
- How will the US respond to China's potential choice?
- What are the qualifications and visions of Grynspan and Rodrigues-Birkett for UN leadership?
