Antonio Guterres was on Friday reelected secretary-general of the United Nations for a second term.
UN General Assembly (UNGA) President Volkan Bozkir announced the reelection of Guterres by “acclamation,” without a vote.
Last week, the UN Security Council backed Guterres recommending that the 193-member Assembly appoint him for another five years from January 1, 2022.
Under the U.N. Charter, the General Assembly elects the secretary-general on the recommendation of the Security Council.
Guterres released a statement following his reappointment expressing his gratitude at being selected to head the global body.
“I am deeply honoured and grateful for the trust placed in me to serve as the Secretary-General of the United Nations for a second term. Serving the UN is an immense privilege and a most noble duty,” Guterres tweeted.
He also appealed to member nations, after taking his oath of office, to do “everything we can to overcome current geostrategic divides and dysfunctional power relations.”
.@antonioguterres reappointed for second term as UN Secretary-General. pic.twitter.com/OZcDPJf5Cn
— United Nations (@UN) June 18, 2021
A handful of individuals had sought to challenge Guterres, but the 72-year-old former prime minister of Portugal was formally unopposed.
A person would only be considered a candidate once nominated by a member state. Portugal proposed Guterres for a second term, but no one else had the backing of a member state.
Guterres has a full in-tray which includes pacifying a deeply divided world embroiled in numerous conflicts, addressing the growing impact of climate change, and tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.
