NEW YORK, August 21, 2026 — Uganda’s candidate for United Nations Secretary-General, Dr Olara Otunnu, has significantly improved his standing in the second informal Security Council straw poll, increasing his “encourage” votes from two to five as the race to succeed António Guterres intensifies.

The 15-member Security Council conducted the second confidential, non-binding poll on Friday to gauge support for the eight candidates currently in the race.

According to the results, Guyana’s Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett emerged as the leading candidate with eight “encourage”, three “discourage” and four “no opinion” votes.

Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan and Argentina’s Rafael Grossi each received seven “encourage” votes, while Senegal’s Macky Sall received six.

Otunnu recorded five “encourage”, five “discourage” and five “no opinion” votes, placing him fifth among the eight candidates on the key “encourage” measure.

The Ugandan diplomat’s result represents a notable improvement from the first straw poll held on July 30, when he received two “encourage”, five “discourage” and eight “no opinion” votes.

The latest figures show that Otunnu gained three additional “encourage” votes, while the number of members expressing “no opinion” fell from eight to five. His “discourage” tally remained unchanged at five.

Rodrigues-Birkett takes the lead

Rodrigues-Birkett’s eight “encourage” votes put her at the top of the second poll, overtaking Grynspan, who had led the first exercise.

The Guyanese candidate received three “discourage” votes and four “no opinion” votes.

Grynspan registered seven “encourage”, four “discourage” and four “no opinion” votes, while Grossi also received seven “encourage” votes but faced six “discourage” votes and two “no opinion” votes.

The other results were:

• Macky Sall: 6 encourage, 7 discourage, 2 no opinion
• Maria Fernanda Espinosa: 4 encourage, 3 discourage, 8 no opinion
• Michelle Bachelet: 2 encourage, 6 discourage, 7 no opinion
• Ivonne Baki: 0 encourage, 8 discourage, 7 no opinion

The results underline how fluid the contest remains, with no candidate securing the nine “encourage” votes generally associated with the threshold for a strong Security Council recommendation. The five permanent members — China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States — will also be crucial because any one of them can veto the Council’s eventual recommendation.

Otunnu gains ground after New York engagements

Otunnu’s improved showing comes just days after his intensive engagements with the UN membership in New York.

On Wednesday, he participated in an interactive dialogue with the General Assembly, where he outlined his priorities for the United Nations and called for stronger action on conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine and Africa.

He identified Gaza as an immediate priority and said the international community must address the root causes of the conflict in order to achieve a lasting solution.

Otunnu also called for reform of the Security Council, describing its current structure as reflecting a “historic imbalance” that needs to be corrected.

He further argued that the next Secretary-General must reconnect ordinary people with the United Nations and restore confidence in the organisation’s founding ideals.

The former UN Under-Secretary-General also placed consensus-building at the centre of his pitch, citing his experience navigating difficult situations and working across different platforms of the UN.

His General Assembly presentation received strong praise from Uganda’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Ambassador Adonia Ayebare, who described it as “a masterpiece.”

Ayebare reaffirmed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ commitment to facilitating Otunnu’s campaign and thanked President Yoweri Museveni for supporting his candidature.

What the latest poll means

The movement from two to five “encourage” votes gives Uganda’s campaign a stronger position than it held in the first poll.

It also means that three Council members who previously expressed “no opinion” now appear to be encouraging Otunnu’s candidacy.

However, the five “discourage” votes show that significant opposition remains within the Council, meaning the Ugandan candidate still has substantial diplomatic ground to cover.

Security Council Report noted that Otunnu was unusual in the process because he participated in the candidate dialogues only after appearing on the ballot in the first straw poll.

The second poll therefore provides the first indication of how his subsequent engagements may have affected his standing among Council members.

The informal polls are not formal elections and do not automatically eliminate candidates. They are designed to help the Council gradually identify a candidate capable of securing broad support.

The race remains open

The second poll has produced a new frontrunner but no decisive winner.

Rodrigues-Birkett’s eight “encourage” votes put her one short of nine, while Grynspan and Grossi remain within striking distance. Otunnu, meanwhile, has moved closer to the leading group after gaining three “encourage” votes.

The process will ultimately require the Security Council to recommend a candidate to the 193-member General Assembly, which will then formally appoint the next Secretary-General.

For Uganda, the immediate significance of Friday’s result is clear: Otunnu has moved from two to five “encourage” votes, demonstrating increased support but still leaving his campaign with a significant diplomatic challenge ahead.

The result also gives Uganda fresh momentum as it continues efforts to build support for Otunnu’s candidacy among Security Council members and the wider UN membership.