Shibbir Ahmed, New York — The race to select the next Secretary-General of the United Nations has entered a decisive phase, with Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan emerging as the narrow frontrunner in the latest informal Security Council poll. However, opposition from permanent members of the Council has left the contest without a clear winner. According to a Reuters report published on October 16, Grynspan secured nine votes marked “encourage,” five marked “discourage” and one “no opinion” in the sixth informal ballot. Crucially, two of the negative votes came from permanent members of the Security Council, whose positions carry decisive weight in the selection process.

The latest poll underscores the diplomatic challenge facing candidates seeking to succeed current Secretary-General António Guterres, whose second term ends on December 31, 2026. No candidate has yet secured the support needed to overcome opposition from the Council’s five permanent members: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Alongside Grynspan, Argentina’s Rafael Grossi and Guyana’s Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett remain prominent contenders. Both received eight “encourage” votes and six “discourage” votes in the latest poll, according to reporting by The National. Each also faced opposition from two permanent members.

Grynspan, a former Vice-President of Costa Rica and head of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), has called for significant reforms to make the world body more effective. In remarks reported by Reuters on October 15, she argued that the UN had become too risk-averse and called for stronger diplomatic engagement, more effective conflict prevention and a review of overlapping responsibilities across UN agencies. If elected, Grynspan would become the first woman to serve as UN Secretary-General since the organisation was founded in 1945.

The Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council. Under the established selection procedure, a candidate must obtain at least nine affirmative votes in the 15-member Council and avoid a veto from any of its five permanent members.

The latest ballot therefore does not amount to a final election. Instead, it offers an indication of the candidates’ standing and the diplomatic obstacles that must be overcome before the Council can recommend a nominee to the General Assembly.

The selection process remains open to further diplomatic negotiations and potentially additional candidates. With the end of Guterres’s term approaching, Council members face mounting pressure to reach an agreement in time for an orderly leadership transition.

The leadership contest comes at a time when the UN faces mounting pressure to respond to armed conflicts, humanitarian emergencies, geopolitical divisions and questions about the effectiveness of multilateral institutions. The next Secretary-General will be expected to strengthen the organisation’s ability to mediate conflicts, coordinate humanitarian assistance, advance sustainable development and uphold international law.

For now, Grynspan’s lead in the latest poll has not translated into a clear path to appointment. The decisive question remains whether any candidate can secure sufficient support among Council members while avoiding opposition from the five permanent powers.

Shibbir Ahmed, New York — Bangladesh has reaffirmed its unwavering support for the Palestinian people and their inalienable right to self-determination, urging urgent international action to end Israeli occupation, illegal settlement expansion and human rights violations.

Addressing the UN Security Council’s open debate on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, on Friday, Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Irene Khan, strongly condemned the devastation in Gaza and expressed deep concern over land confiscation, violence and illegal settlements in the West Bank and Jerusalem.

“The deadlock in the Security Council has enabled Israel to operate with impunity,” Ambassador Khan said, calling for decisive action to stop annexation, forced displacement and human rights violations and to ensure accountability.

She stressed the importance of respecting the mandate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and maintaining humanitarian assistance for Palestinians.

Ambassador Khan also condemned Israeli attacks and occupation in Syria and Lebanon, underscoring the need for an adequate UN presence in Lebanon and reaffirming Bangladesh’s support. She further condemned deadly Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabian airports that caused civilian casualties, including among Bangladeshi migrant workers.

Reiterating Bangladesh’s commitment to a Culture of Peace, Ambassador Khan urged all parties to protect civilians, exercise maximum restraint and uphold international humanitarian law.

Shibbir Ahmed, New York — The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to hold a quarterly open debate on Thursday on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, amid continuing regional tensions and concerns over the future of peace efforts.

The meeting is expected to focus on developments affecting Palestinians, the broader Middle East situation and international efforts to advance peace. The debate comes shortly after the third anniversary of the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel and the subsequent Israeli military campaign in Gaza.

Ramiz Alakbarov, the Acting Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and UN Resident Coordinator, is expected to brief the Council, according to Security Council meeting previews. The debate also comes approximately one year after Israel and Hamas agreed to a US-brokered framework to end the Gaza conflict in October 2025. The UN Security Council subsequently endorsed the framework through Resolution 2803 in November 2025.

Council members are expected to discuss the implementation of peace efforts, the situation affecting Palestinians and the prospects for a lasting political settlement. The meeting is taking place under Greece’s presidency of the Security Council for October. The outcome of Thursday’s debate, including any new commitments or formal Council action, had not been confirmed in the available information at the time of writing.

Shibbir Ahmed, New York — The United Nations has reported encouraging progress toward ending Libya’s prolonged political deadlock but warned that continued divisions among rival political institutions, economic difficulties and fragile security conditions threaten the country’s path toward national elections. Hanna Serwaa Tetteh, the UN secretary-general’s special representative for Libya and head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), delivered the warning during a briefing to the UN Security Council on Wednesday, October 14.

Tetteh said an agreement signed in Tripoli on August 30 by participants in a smaller political dialogue marked an important step toward overcoming the country’s prolonged institutional stalemate. The agreement outlines a path toward parliamentary and presidential elections under a unified executive authority within two years.

However, she cautioned that the progress remains fragile, with disagreements among political stakeholders threatening to undermine efforts to establish stable and unified national institutions. The agreement has received support from several Libyan and international actors, but the High Council of State rejected it on October 5. The disagreement has raised concerns about whether the parties can reach the consensus needed to advance the political process.

Tetteh warned that inflammatory rhetoric and disinformation could further harden political positions, weaken the willingness to compromise and encourage unilateral actions that could undermine the agreement or trigger renewed violence. She called on Libyan political leaders to engage constructively, overcome their differences and support a credible, peaceful electoral process. She also urged the international community to continue supporting diplomatic efforts and hold those obstructing progress accountable.

The UN envoy also highlighted the country’s deteriorating economic conditions, warning that political divisions are contributing to declining living standards and growing public frustration. Despite Libya’s substantial oil resources, many citizens continue to face rising prices and declining purchasing power. Tetteh cited inflation of approximately 14%, alongside concerns about fuel subsidies, widespread fuel smuggling and disruptions to oil production.

She warned that the closure of oilfields and pipelines was causing significant financial losses and threatening energy supplies and electricity generation. Libya’s dependence on oil revenues makes the economy particularly vulnerable to disruptions in production and exports. Political disagreements over state institutions and public resources have further complicated efforts to improve economic management and ensure that oil wealth benefits the wider population.

The envoy also drew attention to protests and strikes in the education and healthcare sectors over delayed salary increases and unpaid allowances, underscoring the pressure on public services.

Despite continuing instability, Tetteh welcomed recent efforts by military leaders from eastern and western Libya to strengthen cooperation. She highlighted initiatives to establish joint information-sharing and border-security coordination centers in Tripoli and Benghazi. Such measures could help improve coordination between security institutions that have operated under competing authorities.

However, she stressed that the overall security environment remains fragile and that sustained cooperation will be necessary to prevent renewed confrontations and support broader political reconciliation. The UN also expressed concern about inflammatory rhetoric and disinformation targeting migrants, refugees, humanitarian workers and UN personnel. Tetteh called for a halt to executions and a review of judicial procedures to ensure compliance with fair-trial standards.

Libya has struggled to restore unified political authority since the 2011 uprising that ended Muammar Gaddafi’s rule. Rival power centers, competing institutions and disputes over the legal framework for elections have repeatedly obstructed efforts to establish a stable political system. The country’s national elections, originally scheduled for December 2021, were postponed indefinitely amid disagreements over electoral rules and the eligibility of candidates.

The latest agreement offers a possible route out of the stalemate, but its success will depend on whether the principal political actors accept the process and implement the necessary institutional reforms. Tetteh emphasized that progress toward elections cannot be separated from the need to strengthen the judiciary, unify state institutions and address broader security and economic challenges.

The UN is continuing consultations with Libyan stakeholders to build on the agreement and explore ways to make the political process more inclusive. The latest Security Council briefing underscored both the opportunity and the risks facing Libya: diplomatic progress has created renewed hope for a political settlement, but lasting stability will require compromise, institutional unity and sustained international support.