"5 to 10": How Macky Sall learned he was heading for defeat at the UN

On October 16, an indicative UN Security Council vote on the succession to Antonio Guterres gave Macky Sall’s candidacy five favorable opinions and ten unfavorable ones. The former Senegalese president announced his withdrawal the following day from Marrakech. A candidate needs at least nine of the Council’s 15 votes and must avoid opposition from any permanent member; three of the five permanent members had given Sall an unfavorable opinion. Though not provided for in the UN Charter, indicative votes are used to gauge candidates’ prospects before the formal vote.