Jérôme Bonnafont (France/Security Council President) on the election of the next Secretary-General - Security Council Media Stakeout
Press Briefings • United NationsSeptember 18, 2026
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Security Council Completes Third Straw Poll in Secretary-General Race
Ambassador Jérôme Bonnafont of France, serving as Security Council president for September 2026, stepped to the microphones outside the council chamber on Sept. 18 to deliver a terse, two-minute announcement: the third round of indicative voting for the next United Nations secretary-general is done — and the results will stay behind closed doors.
- Third straw poll completed as Security Council narrows the field for the next UN secretary-general
- No results disclosed; candidates will learn their fate privately through their nominating countries
- Bonnafont declines all questions, citing prior agreement among council members
Why it matters: Straw polls are the quiet, high-stakes mechanism through which the 15-member Security Council winnows the field of secretary-general candidates before making a formal recommendation to the 193-member General Assembly. Each round signals which contenders retain enough support — and, critically, avoid a veto from any of the five permanent members — to survive to the next stage. The outcome will shape the direction of the United Nations for the next five years.
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