The UN General Assembly on Thursday formally appointed Antonio Guterres as the new Secretary-General of the United Nations, replacing Ban Ki-moon.
The 193 member states adopted by acclamation a resolution appointing the former Prime Minister of Portugal for a five-year term beginning January 1, 2017.
The socialist politician, who also served as UN refugee chief for a decade, is expected to play a more prominent role as the world’s diplomat-in-chief than Ban, the South Korean former foreign minister who will step down after two five-year terms.
In his opening speech at the UN headquarters on Thursday, he vowed to fight terrorism and populism and to help overcome divisions over ending the war in Syria.
“We must make sure that we are able to break these alliances between all those terrorist groups or violence extremists on one side and the expression of populism and xenophobia on the other side. We must be able to fight both of them with determination,” Guterres said.
He also highlighted the importance of gender equality in his speech, calling it a priority commitment of the UN to protect and empower women.
“I have long been aware of the hurdles women face in society, in the family and in the workplace, just because of their gender. I have witnessed the violence they are subject to during conflict or while fleeing, just because they are women and I have tried to address this to every public office.
“The protection and empowerment of women in the organisation are and will continue to be a priority commitment to me.”
Guterres won unanimous support from the UN Security Council during a vote last week that capped the most transparent campaign ever held at the United Nations for the top post.
The 67-year-old polyglot campaigned on a pledge to promote human rights and enact reforms within the UN system, seen as clunky and too slow to respond to unfolding disasters.
His appointment comes at a time of global anxiety over the ongoing war in Syria, the refugee crisis and raging conflicts in South Sudan and Yemen.
Born and raised in Portugal’s capital, Lisbon, António Guterres was educated at the prestigious Liceu de Camões (now Secondary School) where he graduated in 1965, winning the “Prémio Nacional dos Liceus” as the best student in the country.
He then studied physics and electrical engineering at Instituto Superior Técnico in Lisbon. He graduated in 1971 and started an academic career as assistant professor teaching Systems Theory and Telecommunications Signals, before leaving academic life to start a political career.
In 1972, Guterres married LuÃsa Amélia Guimarães e Melo, with whom he had two children, Pedro Guimarães e Melo Guterres and Mariana Guimarães e Melo de Oliveira Guterres. His wife died of cancer at the Royal Free Hospital in London on 28 January 1998.
In 2001, he married his second wife Catarina Marques de Almeida Vaz Pinto, a former Portuguese State Secretary for Culture and more recently Culture Secretary for the City Council of Lisbon. Through this second marriage he has a stepson named Francisco Vaz Pinto da Costa Ramos.
In addition to his native Portuguese, Guterres speaks English, Spanish, and French.
On 29 February 2016, Guterres submitted his nomination as Portugal’s candidate for the 2016 UN Secretary-General selection.
Friday, 14 October 2016
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UN Appoints Antonio Guterres as the New Secretary-General
UN Appoints Antonio Guterres as the New Secretary-General
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