Q COSTA RICA — Costa Rican diplomat and former Vice President under José María Figueres (1994-1998), Rebeca Grynspan, has emerged as the frontrunner to lead the United Nations (UN) as its first female Secretary-General, beginning in December.
Prestigious international media outlets such as The Guardian and Reuters, and others, have reported that Grynspan is not only the continuity candidate but also enjoys the tacit support of outgoing Secretary-General António Guterres.
Read more: Rebecca Grynspan leads first ballot to succeed Guterres as UN Secretary-General
With less than four months until the election, to be held in December, it is expected that the Secretary-General will come from Latin America, in accordance with an informal regional rotation system that has been in place for years.
In a first preliminary secret ballot of the UN Security Council, held on July 30, the five permanent members and the 10 non-permanent members were asked whether they supported, opposed, or remained neutral regarding each of the seven candidates.
Grynspan received 10 “encouragement” votes, four “no opinion” votes, and one “discouragement” vote. The identity of the dissenting vote is unknown, but the fact that she received only one objection puts her in a favorable initial position.
The process is expected to conclude in October.
Grynspan’s parents emigrated from Poland to Central America. Her maternal grandparents were murdered by the Nazis. Today, she is the Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), where she has been instrumental in extensively documenting the economic damage caused by the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories.
Her closest rival is Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, former Guyana’s envoy to the UN, who received nine votes in favor, two against, and four “no opinion” votes.
The key to Grynspan’s election lies in the origin of any potential opposition votes, as the appointment rules stipulate that five countries have veto power: Great Britain, the United States, China, Russia, and France. If any of them formally opposes her candidacy, she would inevitably lose the election.
Read more: Costa Rica nominates Rebeca Grynspan to lead the UN in 2027-2031
A dream come true
The possibility of a Costa Rican being elected to the most important position in international multilateralism fills Costa Rica with pride.
As former President Carlos Alvarado points out, “Grynspan could bring Costa Rican values of peace, democracy, environmental sustainability, and the defense of human rights to the UN”.
Meanwhile, former President Laura Chinchilla also highlighted the significant international recognition Costa Rica would receive with the eventual appointment.
“Besides the personal merit, it would also be a merit for Costa Rica, because it would be recognition of a country that has historically championed peace, democracy, and a rules-based international order. I trust that Ms. Rebeca will ultimately be the deserving one, the rightful one, to become the first female Secretary-General of the United Nations,” Chinchilla stated.
“Regardless of political affiliation, we should all be praying to God and supporting her because her appointment will be of great benefit to our country. It will put us on the world map at the center of the fight for peace, for the development of nations, and for rules based on law to govern international relations. God willing, God willing, the countries will have the vision to nominate and appoint Ms. Rebeca,” stated former President Miguel Ángel Rodríguez.
The election comes at a critical moment for the legitimacy of multilateralism, due to a 20% reduction in its staff and the sometimes-ignored role of the Secretary-General as a conscience.
If Grynspan is elected, she would be the first Jewish Secretary-General of the UN. The United Nations has been criticized for focusing its debates excessively on Israel, but Grynspan has drawn on her Jewish heritage to defend the importance of ending conflicts.
“Peace was what made it possible for my parents, two refugees from World War II, to find respect and dignity in a small country, Costa Rica. I am a child of that peace, a testament to what peace makes possible,” the Costa Rican woman said in a speech before the UN General Assembly.
Furthermore, under Grynspan’s leadership, UNCTAD has documented compellingly and with a solid foundation of data the economic damage caused by Israel’s prolonged occupation of the Palestinian territories. A landmark report published in February 2026 concluded that “cumulatively, the Palestinian economy lost approximately US$212.2 billion (in constant 2015 dollars) between 2000 and 2024.”
According to the document, this estimated potential loss is equivalent to almost 20 times the entire Palestinian GDP in 2024.
The Secretary-General is elected for an initial four-year term, after the General Assembly, composed of 193 countries, receives a recommendation from the Security Council.
To be elected, a candidate needs nine affirmative votes and no vetoes from the permanent members of the Security Council.