UN Deadlock: No Consensus on Antonio Guterres’s Successor After Eighth Vote

The UN Security Council’s eighth informal poll, held on November 5, 2026, produced no consensus on a successor to Antonio Guterres, whose term ends on December 31. Costa Rican Rebeca Grynspan led with 12 favorable votes and three unfavorable ones, followed by Argentina’s Rafael Grossi with nine favorable votes and Guyana’s Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett with eight. Because the ballots were not differentiated, it is impossible to determine whether any permanent members cast potentially veto-triggering unfavorable votes. The Council must recommend a candidate to the General Assembly and is under pressure to accelerate consultations and reach a compromise.