Rebeca Grynspan emerges as frontrunner for UN Secretary-General

Rebeca Grynspan, the Costa Rican economist and current Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), has emerged as a leading candidate for the position of United Nations Secretary-General. In a recent nonbinding informal poll by the UN Security Council, Grynspan received 10 “encourage” votes from the 15 members, placing her ahead of her closest rival.

If successful, Grynspan would become the first woman and the first Jewish person to lead the United Nations. Her candidacy follows the upcoming conclusion of António Guterres’s second term on December 31, 2026.

Grynspan’s personal history is rooted in the experience of refugees; her parents were Polish Jews who fled Europe before World War II, eventually settling in Costa Rica after being detained in Cyprus. She has frequently cited her family's journey as a primary influence on her commitment to peace and multilateralism.