New York: UN General Assembly on Friday appointed Antonio Guterres as the UN Secretary-General for a second term beginning January 1, 2022, days after the powerful Security Council had unanimously recommended his name to the 193-member body for re-election.
President of the 75th session of the General Assembly Volkan Bozkir administered the oath of office to the 72-year-old former Portuguese prime minister.
“This is a solemn moment. I find myself experiencing a whirlwind of emotions and thoughts. I am deeply honoured and grateful for the trust you have placed in me to serve as the Secretary-General of the United Nations for a second term. Serving the United Nations is an immense privilege and a most noble duty,” Guterres said in his remarks to the General Assembly after his oath of office.
India, which is a non-permanent member of the Security Council, supported Guterres’s re-election there and in the Assembly. External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar on Saturday congratulated United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on his re-appointment for a second term to helm the 193-member world organization.
Guterres was a former Prime Minister of Portugal, who headed the United Nations refugee agency for 10 years, was victorious in 2016 from a field of 13 official candidates, including seven women.