Portugal’s Antonio Guterres appears certain to become next UN chief after decisive vote by Security Council
The council will undertake a formal vote on Thursday to confirm the choice of Guterres, who won backing in the straw poll from 13 of the 15 council members
Portugal’s former prime minister Antonio Guterres has won the Security Council’s unanimous backing to become the next UN secretary general, winning plaudits for his strong leadership but disappointing campaigners for a woman or East European to be the world’s top diplomat for the first time.
The veteran politician and diplomat, who served as the UN’s refugee chief until December, topped all six informal polls in the council after his performance in the first ever question-and-answer sessions in the 193-member General Assembly, which received high marks from almost every diplomat.
Britain’s UN Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said the assembly hearings showed that Guterres “was an outstanding candidate ... who will take the United Nations to the next level in terms of leadership” and will provide “a moral authority at a time when the world is divided on issues, above all like Syria”.
Russia’s UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, the current Security Council president, appeared before reporters surrounded by the 14 other council ambassadors after the sixth informal poll of the 10 remaining candidates was held behind closed doors saying: “You are witnessing, I think, a historic scene.”
Churkin then thanked all the candidates saying they displayed “a lot of wisdom, understanding and concern for the fate of the world” and announced: “We have a clear favourite, and his name is Antonio Guterres.”
We have a clear favourite, and his name is Antonio Guterres
He said the Security Council would hold a formal vote on Thursday morning and expressed hope that the council will recommend Guterres by “acclamation” to the 193-member General Assembly, which must approve a successor to Ban Ki-moon whose second five-year term ends on December 31.