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Two women lead the race to be next UN Secretary-General

Daily Maverick · 🇿🇦 public South Africa · · 869 words · By Peter Fabricius
Geopolitical Influence of P5 Members UN Secretary-General Election South African Foreign Policy
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What to know about Geopolitical Influence of P5 Members

Two women have emerged as frontrunners to become the next secretary-general of the United Nations from 1 January 2027 after António Guterres ends his second term this year.

Claims checked 17
Techniques found 1
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center100%
Right0%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Two women have emerged as frontrunners to become the next secretary-general of the United Nations from 1 January 2027 after António Guterres ends his second term this year.

Why it matters

Rebeca Grynspan, the Costa Rican who now heads the UN’s trade body Unctad, came top out of seven candidates in the first informal and confidential straw poll on Thursday, 30 July, which gauged the opinions of the 15 members of the Security Council.

Common ground

Carolyn Allison Rodrigues-Birkett, the former foreign minister of Guyana and now its ambassador to the UN in New York, came second.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-08-02-two-women-lead-the-race-to-be…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 70% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 17 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 7
check_circle Corroborated 6
verified Verified By Reference 2
cancel Disputed 1
info Single Source 1
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Claim 1: “Argentinian Rafael Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)”
CORROBORATED
Confirmed by a cross-reference (Nbcwashington) and general knowledge of the IAEA leadership; Rafael Grossi is identified as the Director-General of the IAEA.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A United Nations Secretary-General selection is currently being held to choose the next Secretary-General of the United Nations. The current Secretary-General, António Guterres of Portugal, will compl…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_Nations_Secretary-…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Rafael Mariano Grossi (born 29 January 1961) is an Argentine diplomat. He has been serving as Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) since 3 December 2019. He was formerly t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafael_Grossi
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is an intergovernmental organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including n…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Atomic_Energy_Ag…
+ 4 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 2: “she was UN High Commissioner for Human Rights between 2018 and 2022”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 3: “António Guterres ends his second term this year”
DISPUTED
The claim states Guterres ends his term 'this year' (implying 2024), but Wikipedia explicitly states he will complete his second term on 31 December 2026.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A United Nations Secretary-General selection is currently being held to choose the next Secretary-General of the United Nations. The current Secretary-General, António Guterres of Portugal, will compl…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_Nations_Secretary-…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A United Nations secretary-general selection was held in October 2016 to choose the ninth secretary-general of the United Nations to succeed Ban Ki-moon from 1 January 2017. Six straw polls were held …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_United_Nations_Secretary-…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A United Nations Secretary-General selection was held in June 2021 to choose the Secretary-General of the United Nations. Incumbent António Guterres was the only official candidate for the position. O…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_United_Nations_Secretary-…
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 4: “the P5 have veto powers”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 5: “Grynspan got 10 “encourages”, one “discourage” and four “no opinions.” Rodrigues-Birkett got nine encourages, two discourages and four no opinions. Grossi’s tally was 7, 2, 6. Bachelet’s was 6, 5, 4. Sall’s was 6,7,2. Garcés got 5, 2 and 8 and Otunnu 2,5 and 8.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 6: “Ugandan Olarra Otunnu, a former under secretary-general of the UN and former Ugandan ambassador to the UN”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources (Wikipedia, Freedom Now, and news reports) confirm Olara Otunnu was a UN Under-Secretary-General and the Ugandan ambassador to the UN.
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web search NEUTRAL — Olara A. Otunnu is a Ugandan politician, diplomat, and lawyer. He was President of the Uganda People's Congress, a political party, from 2010 to 2015 and stood as the party's candidate in the 2011 pre…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olara_Otunnu
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web search NEUTRAL — Kampala – Uganda has officially nominated veteran diplomat and former United Nations Under-Secretary-General Ambassador Olara Otunnu for the position of Secretary-General of the United Nations.
https://ubc.go.ug/2026/07/26/uganda-nominates-olara-otunnu-f…
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web search NEUTRAL — He was a former Ambassador of Uganda to the United Nations, United Nations Under-Secretary-General, and UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict.
https://www.freedom-now.org/cases/olara-otunnu/
schedule
Claim 7: “She was president of Chile from 2006 to 2010 and from 2014 to 2018”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
verified
Claim 8: “Carolyn Allison Rodrigues-Birkett, the former foreign minister of Guyana and now its ambassador to the UN in New York”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia and web search results confirm Carolyn Allison Rodrigues-Birkett is the Permanent Representative (Ambassador) of Guyana to the UN and a former foreign minister of Guyana.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Carolyn Allison Rodrigues-Birkett (born 16 September 1973) is a Guyanese politician and former foreign minister who has served as her country's Permanent Representative to the United Nations since 202…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolyn_Rodrigues
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of the current permanent representatives to the United Nations at United Nations Headquarters, New York City. The list includes the country that they represent and the date that they pr…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_current_permanent_repr…
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web search NEUTRAL — Carolyn Allison Rodrigues-Birkett is a Guyanese politician who was appointed Permanent Representative of Guyana to the United Nations in 2020.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolyn_Rodrigues
+ 2 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 9: “deputy UN secretary-general Amina Mohammed, a Nigerian”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 10: “the UN General Assembly, which includes all UN members, will in the end vote, by simple majority, to elect the next secretary-general”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 11: “the next secretary-general of the United Nations from 1 January 2027”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent web sources and Wikipedia confirm that the next Secretary-General will take office on January 1, 2027, following the end of Guterres' term on December 31, 2026.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A United Nations Secretary-General selection is currently being held to choose the next Secretary-General of the United Nations. The current Secretary-General, António Guterres of Portugal, will compl…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_Nations_Secretary-…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The secretary-general of the United Nations (UNSG or UNSECGEN) is the chief administrator of the United Nations who oversees the United Nations Secretariat, one of the six principal organs of the Unit…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secretary-General_of_the_Unite…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — An under-secretary-general of the United Nations (USG) is a senior official within the United Nations System, normally appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the secretary-general …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Under-Secretary-General_of_the…
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 12: “former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent news sources (Jpost, TASS) confirm Michelle Bachelet is the former president of Chile.
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cross reference SUPPORTS — Michelle Bachelet, the former president of Chile and former UN high commissioner for human rights.
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-898083
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cross reference SUPPORTS — The others are former President of Chile and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet
https://tass.com/world/2130617
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cross reference SUPPORTS — Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi, former President of Chile Michelle Bachelet, ex-President of Senegal Macky Sall, Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General of …
https://tass.com/politics/2144545
+ 1 more evidence source
schedule
Claim 13: “an informal and confidential straw poll on Thursday, 30 July, which gauged the opinions of the 15 members of the Security Council”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 14: “former foreign minister of Ecuador María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided web search results for this claim are irrelevant (crossword clues) and do not provide information regarding María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jun 11, 2026 · All synonyms & crossword answers with 4 Letters for NEXT found in daily crossword puzzles: NY Times, Daily Celebrity, Telegraph, LA Times and more. Search for crossword clues on crosswo…
https://www.crosswordsolver.com/clue/NEXT
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Enter the crossword clue and click "Find" to search for answers to crossword puzzle clues. Crossword answers are sorted by relevance and can be sorted by length as well.
https://www.wordplays.com/crossword-solver/next
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — May 23, 2024 · Next Crossword Clue Answers are listed below. Did you came up with a word that did not solve the clue? In case you did, worry not because we have the most recent and up-to-date answer f…
https://nytcrosswordanswers.org/next-crossword-clue/
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Claim 15: “former Senegalese president Macky Sall”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources (TASS, Al Jazeera) confirm Macky Sall is the former president of Senegal, with Al Jazeera specifying his term ended in 2024.
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cross reference SUPPORTS — former President of Senegal Macky Sall
https://tass.com/world/2130001
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cross reference SUPPORTS — former President of Senegal Macky Sall
https://tass.com/world/2130617
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cross reference SUPPORTS — Another candidate, Senegal’s former President Macky Sall, who was not physically present at the debate, sent a video recording of his speech
https://tass.com/world/2144625
+ 2 more evidence sources
verified
Claim 16: “Rebeca Grynspan, the Costa Rican who now heads the UN’s trade body Unctad”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia directly confirms that Rebeca Grynspan is a Costa Rican economist serving as Secretary-General of UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) since September 2021.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Rebeca Grynspan Mayufis (born 14 December 1955) is a Costa Rican economist who has been serving as Secretary-General of UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) since 13 September 2021. Grynspan previously s…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebeca_Grynspan
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Shaikha Al Nowais is an Emirates-born businessperson who is the Secretary-General of UNWTO aka UN Tourism.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaikha_Al_Nowais
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is an intergovernmental organization within the United Nations Secretariat which promotes the interests of developing countries in the governance of int…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UN_Trade_and_Development
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 17: “the UN needs its first woman secretary-general in its 81 years of existence”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent web sources confirm that the United Nations has never had a female Secretary-General in its history.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The United Nations has never had a female Secretary-General in its close to 80 years of history. To manifest a commitment to gender equality at this level, GWL Voices started the “Madam Secretary-Gene…
https://www.gwlvoices.org/actions/it-s-time-for-a-different-…
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web search NEUTRAL — The UN has never had a female secretary-general (SG) in its…The United Nations has been one of the most vociferous advocates of gender empowerment and a persistent critic of gender discrimination worl…
https://antiguaobserver.com/will-a-second-term-for-guterres-…
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web search NEUTRAL — Yet still, the United Nations has never had a female secretary-general in its almost 80 years of history.Sania Nishtar at Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. We’ve also seen a new generation of women leaders …
https://scwomenlead.net/putting-a-woman-at-the-head-of-the-u…
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.