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Antonio Guterres of Portugal unanimously appointed Secretary General-designate

Date: 
Thursday, 13 October 2016

The UN General Assembly, on the recommendation of the UN Security Council, unanimously appointed Mr. Antonio Guterres of Portugal as the next Secretary General of the United Nations, today (13 October 2016). The Presidential text appointing the new UNSG was adopted by the Assembly by acclamation at 10.16 AM (NY time). Chairs of the five regional groups and the Permanent Representative of the host country Ms Samantha Power welcomed the appointment, noting that a historically rigorous and transparent process had led to the selection of the best candidate for the job. Mr. Guterres in his remarks said he was grateful and humbled by the appointment and would do his best to carry out his mandate with a profound sense of responsibility. “I am fully aware of the challenges and limitations of the job and that can only inspire a humble approach” he said. Mr. Guterres pledged to work as a convener, bridge builder and honest broker in the service of humanity. Following the formal appointment in the General Assembly Hall,  Mr. Guterres received Permanent Representatives of Missions where Ambassador Dr. Rohan Perera congratulated the Secretary General Designate, and pledged to work closely with the new Secretary General in upholding the objectives of the UN Charter. Mr. Guterres recalled his visit to Sri Lanka in the aftermath of the Tsunami, and noted, that Sri Lanka having overcome the challenges of the past was now headed for a bright future.