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Sri Lanka congratulates Mr. Guterres on his appointment as the next UN Secretary-General

Date: 
Wednesday, 19 October 2016

At an informal meeting of the plenary with the Secretary General designate, His Excellency António Guterres convened by the President of the General Assembly, Ambassador Dr. Rohan Perera, Permanent Representative  congratulated the PGA on the presidential text which was adopted by acclamation last week, appointing Mr. Antonio Guterres as the ninth Secretary General of the United Nations. 

Ambassador Perera noted that even as Sri Lanka paid well-earned tribute to the stellar leadership of Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and the invaluable service he has rendered to the work of the organization, including the successful conclusion of his two signature projects, the 2030 Development Agenda, and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, it now looks forward to the able leadership of Mr. Guterres  as he steers the Community of Nations to carry these initiatives forward, towards the implementation of these ambitious goals.  “We are confident, that with his extensive experience both as the Prime Minister of Portugal for seven years from 1995 – 2002 and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for a decade after that, Mr. Guterres will fashion a United Nations that is proactive on the essentials, yet tempered with a compassion and a humanity, that has surely been the mark of his tenure as the High Commissioner of Refugees,” Dr. Perera also said.

 

Statement by Ambassador and Permanent Representative Dr. Rohan Perera

In the 71st Session of the General Assembly

Agenda Item 113: Appointment of Antonio Guterres

Secretary General Designate of the United Nations

19th October 2016, New York

Thank you Mr. President

Let me begin by congratulating you on the presidential text which was adopted by acclamation last week appointing Mr. Antonio Guterres as the ninth Secretary General of the United Nations.

I take this opportunity Mr. President to warmly congratulate on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka, Mr. Guterres Secretary General Designate, on his appointment, and to assure him of Sri Lanka’s full support, as he carries forward the important work of the world’s foremost multilateral body.

We consider Mr. Guterres a friend of Sri Lanka. He visited Sri Lanka on a humanitarian Mission in the aftermath of the devastating Tsunami of December 2004 when we sought the assistance and cooperation of the International Community.  

Mr. President

Today, we face many challenges in the form of terrorism, transnational organized crime, forced migration and climate change. It is not lightly that the General Assembly has so readily and unanimously elected a candidate of his stature to the central position of the UN headquarters within the international diplomatic network.

Sri Lanka has always stood ready to provide our voice to a common agenda of reform and revitalization of the General Assembly. Therefore the appointment of Mr. Guterres is a testament to an open and transparent process, that assured the world of the best candidate for the job, and produced through this process, a Diplomat of great resolve and accomplishment.

Even as we pay well-earned tribute to the stellar leadership of Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and the invaluable service he has rendered to the work of the organization, including the successful conclusion of his two signature projects, the 2030 Development Agenda, and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, we now look forward to the able leadership of Mr. Guterres  as he steers our Community of Nations to carry these initiatives forward, towards the implementation of these ambitious goals.

We are grateful to Mr. Ban Ki Moon who has kept close to his heart the affairs of Sri Lanka as we transition from a country once ravaged by terrorism an conflict, to one that promises a bright future under a democratic administration, committed to Rule of Law and Good Governance.  For his decade of committed service to the world in general and to Sri Lanka in particular, we sincerely thank Mr. Ban Ki Moon. 

Mr. President

We are confident, that with his extensive experience both as the Prime Minister of Portugal for seven years from 1995 – 2002 and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for a decade after that, Mr. Guterres will fashion a United Nations that is proactive on the essentials, yet tempered with a compassion and a humanity, that has surely been the mark of his tenure as the High Commissioner of Refugees.

In the backdrop of my country’s renewed commitment to multilateral engagement, be assured that Sri Lanka stands ready to support the work of the Secretary General. There has been a long-standing partnership between Sri Lanka and the UN since our membership in 1955 and even before that. And we remain an engaged player in the international community.

We are confident that given the overwhelming support Mr. Guterres has received from the world community in this process, and with so many friends to support him, the challenges that must necessarily face the new Secretary General shall not rest so heavy upon his shoulders.

We wish Mr. Guterres a most fruitful tenure as Secretary General.