UN Secretary-General-designate and former Prime Minister of Portugal, António Guterres, will be sworn-in on Monday, Dec. 12, as the next secretary-general.,
A statement issued by Mr Dan Thomas, Communications Director and Spokesperson of the President of the General Assembly, said António would be succeeding outgoing secretary-general Ban Ki-moon, who steps down on Dec. 31.
Guterres, 67, was Prime Minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002, and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees from June 2005 to December 2015.
He will become the world’s top diplomat on Jan. 2017, and hold that post for the next five years.
As a result of last year motion at the UN General Assembly, António Guterres, was formally appointed by the Member states commune on October 13.
“I believe this process means that the true winner today is the credibility of the UN.
“And it also makes it very clear to me that, as Secretary-General, having been chosen by all Member States, I must be at the service of them all equally and with no agenda but the one enshrined in the UN Charter”. Guterres enthused.
The Secretary-General-designate would become the UN’s ninth chief, and the first to emerge through public discussions, presentation on Vision statements and receiving impromptu questions on protection of human rights, maintenance of international peace and promotion of sustainable developments.
Today’s ceremony would include the 193-member General Assembly pay tribute to Ban Ki moon, outgoing secretary general, for his exceptional service and contribution to the work of the UN over the last decade.