Daughter of Holocaust survivors with relatives in Israel: She is the leading candidate to head the UN
Rebeca Grynspan's niece and nephew served in the IDF, and her grandparents were murdered by the Nazis. She is leading by one vote in a secret poll conducted among Security Council members on the way to the position of UN Secretary-General. If elected, she would be the first woman and the first Jewish person to head the organization.
A Jewish diplomat from Costa Rica and former vice president, whose parents were refugees from the Holocaust, has become the surprising leading candidate to lead the United Nations as its first female Secretary-General, media outlets around the world reported today (Sunday).
Rebeca Grynspan, whose parents immigrated to Central America from Poland, and whose maternal grandparents were murdered by the Nazis, currently heads the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), a body that has systematically criticized Israel following the destruction caused by the fighting in the Gaza Strip. Grynspan has said on several occasions that she is "proud of her Jewishness" and that she has relatives living in Israel.
The current Secretary-General, António Guterres, will finish his second term on December 31, 2026, and as part of an informal system of regional rotation, his successor is expected to come from Latin America. In the first secret poll of the UN Security Council, the five permanent members and ten temporary members were asked to say whether they support, oppose, or are neutral regarding each of the seven candidates.
Grynspan obtained 10 "support" votes, four "no opinion" votes, and one "oppose" vote. The identity of the opposing vote is unknown, but the fact that she had only one opposition puts her in a strong starting position. The process is expected to end in October.
Grynspan's closest rival is Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Guyana's former UN envoy, with nine votes in favor, two opposition votes, and four votes with no opinion. At the end of a Bloomberg-sponsored discussion at the General Assembly last month, she secured 49% of the votes among those present, with Grynspan in second place with 14%.
"Grynspan is perceived by some as a continuity candidate, with tacit support from Guterres," said a Western diplomat. "But the key is the source of the candidate's opposition votes: if [the votes] come from Russia, China, or the USA, there is a risk of a stalemate."
The elections come at a critical moment for the legitimacy of multilateralism, as the UN suffers from 20% budget cuts and the role of the Secretary-General as a mediator is being replaced by other factors, leaving the global body as a largely ignored moral conscience, or as a place where all sides vent their known disagreements.
If elected, Grynspan would be the first Jewish Secretary-General of the UN. The UN has been criticized for focusing too much on Israel in its discussions, but Grynspan has referred to her Jewish heritage to argue for the importance of ending the conflict. She told the UN General Assembly: "Peace is what allowed my parents, two refugees from World War II, to find dignity and appreciation in a small country, Costa Rica. I am the daughter of this peace, a demonstration of what peace allows."
Her sister moved to Israel at age 17 to study chemistry at the Hebrew University. As a result, her niece and nephew completed mandatory service in the IDF. Under her leadership, however, UNCTAD has factually and accurately documented the economic damage caused by Israel's long-term occupation of the Palestinian territories.
A report compiled under her in February 2026 stated that "overall, the Palestinian economy lost about $212.2 billion (in constant 2015 prices) between 2000 and 2024. This partial potential, which was lost, is equivalent to almost 20 times the total Palestinian GDP in 2024, and is a direct result of Israeli occupation policies, restrictions, blockades, and repeated military actions." In November 2025, Grynspan noted that Gaza's GDP per capita had plummeted to $161 per person per year, one of the most severe economic contractions in modern history.
Three other candidates, including Michelle Bachelet, likely encountered too much influential opposition to secure the position. Bachelet, former president of Chile and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, faces opposition from the US government, which claims she was lenient regarding China's human rights record. But the recent proposal by the Trump administration that FIFA president Gianni Infantino should get the position symbolizes America's distancing from the UN mainstream.
The Secretary-General is elected to serve an initial term of four years after the 193-member General Assembly is asked to approve one recommendation by the Security Council. A candidate needs nine positive votes and no veto from a Security Council member. The new candidate must be chosen by the end of the year, and further Security Council meetings will be held to gauge public opinion.
