A Costa Rican diplomat and former vice-president whose parents were refugees from the Holocaust has become the surprise frontrunner to lead the United Nations as its first female secretary general. If elected, Grynspan would be the UN’s first Jewish secretary general. The secretary general is elected to serve an initial four-year term after the 193-strong general assembly is requested to endorse a single recommendation by the security council. A candidate needs nine positive votes and no veto by a security council member. The new candidate must be elected by the end of the year, and there will be further meetings of the security council to test opinion.