The UN Security Council failed to reach an agreement on the candidate for the new Secretary-General

UN Security Council fails to reach agreement on new Secretary-General candidate

Citing its sources, the Associated Press reported that none of the seven candidates nominated for the position of UN Secretary-General received support from all veto-wielding permanent members of the Security Council.

The main contenders for the new Secretary-General are Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica, head of the UN trade body, Rafael Grossi of Argentina, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Guyana's permanent representative to the UN.

The report noted that over the past few weeks, officials from the US administration have signaled that none of the candidates are "ideal." Washington has focused on radically reforming the organization, as well as withdrawing or planning to withdraw from a number of UN agencies.

Nevertheless, US officials do not rule out that Washington could support one of the candidates. According to AP sources, the US position will become clear in the coming days.

Mike Waltz, the US Permanent Representative to the UN, stressed that the organization needs "strong and active leadership" capable of returning the UN to its original mission of ensuring peace and security.

"This organization has tried to be all things to all people for 80 years. We put it on a diet, so to speak — after a diet, we are all doing a bit better. Now we need to refocus it on issues of peace and security," Waltz said.

According to AP, by tradition, the post of UN Secretary-General rotates among representatives of different regions, and it is currently Latin America's turn.

At the same time, Waltz and Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, did not rule out that new candidates might emerge.