Costa Rica nominates former Vice President Rebeca Grynspan to lead UN

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SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (AP) — Costa Rica put forward Wednesday longtime diplomat and former Vice President Rebeca Grynspan as a candidate to be the next secretary-general of the United Nations.

The economist is currently the secretary-general of U.N. Trade and Development in Geneva.

She was a major player in the U.N. effort to ship Ukrainian and Russian grains to global markets at the start of the war in Ukraine and outgoing Secretary-General António Guterres designated her as the senior U.N. official to deal with the Russians.

“This candidacy will be formally registered at the United Nations in the coming weeks,” Costa Rica President Rodrigo Chaves said in a video message Wednesday. “We trust that the career and commitment of Rebeca Grynspan, who has very broad experience in issues of development, international cooperation and regional leadership, will significantly contribute to strengthening multilateralism.”

Speaking at a news conference in San Jose on Wednesday, Grynspan said she would campaign for the position, capitalizing on being well known in diplomatic circles. She also acknowledged that there would be competition for the position, including from within Latin America.

“I know the United Nations well, I know it well enough to reform it and well enough to defend it,” Grynspan said. “The United Nations requires both things. Right now, being a multilateralist means being a reformer.”

Grynspan served as Costa Rica’s vice president in the administration of ex-President José María Figueres (1994-1998) and later worked in various multilateral organizations.

Guterres' term ends Dec. 31, 2026, and the process to replace him will run through the final quarter of 2026. Changes have been made in recent years to make the selection process more transparent, including public discussions with the candidates and a series of straw polls to measure support before a formal resolution. Previously the selection process was opaque and dominated by the Security Council.