In the latest round of anonymous informal polling for the next United Nations Secretary-General, all seven declared candidates have received at least one ‘discourage’ vote — the informal equivalent of a veto — from a permanent member of the UN Security Council, a senior anonymous diplomat confirmed Friday. Outgoing Secretary-General António Guterres will conclude his second five-year term on December 31, 2026, leaving the global body’s top post to be filled through the long-standing Security Council selection process, which precedes a confirmation vote by the UN General Assembly.