The newly appointed Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, reads a statement at Lisbon's Necessidades palace after the formal election took place this morning at the organisation's headquarters, Thursday, Oct. 6, 2016. The probable next U.N. secretary-general says he faces "huge challenges" and hopes to see unity and consensus during his expected term at the international body.

UNITED NATIONS — Portugal's former prime minister Antonio Guterres, who was formally nominated on Thursday to be the next U.N. secretary-general, said he faces "huge challenges" and hopes to see unity and consensus during his term.

Security Council President Vitaly Churkin, Russia's U.N. ambassador, said members approved a resolution by acclamation recommending Guterres for a 5-year term during a closed-door meeting.

The council's recommendation now goes to the U.N.'s 193-member General Assembly, which is expected to vote on Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's successor next week. Ban's second 5-year term ends Dec. 31.

Speaking at the Foreign Ministry in Lisbon, Guterres said that he hoped the consensus vote in the council, which has been deeply divided over Syria and many other issues, would turn out to be symbolic, bringing "swift decisions which the troubled world we live in demands."

Ban told reporters in Rome that he considers Guterres "a superb choice."

He praised his "deep compassion" as U.N. refugee chief for 10 years "for the millions of people who have been forced from their homes," as well as "his wide knowledge of world affairs and his lively intellect."

Guterres topped all six informal polls in the council after receiving high marks from almost every diplomat for his performance in the first-ever question-and-answer sessions for candidates in the General Assembly. He was the only candidate of the 10 in the race to receive no "discourage" votes in Wednesday's poll, which was the first to use colored ballots to distinguish the votes of the five veto-wielding permanent members - the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France.

The result disappointed campaigners for a woman or an East European to be the world's top diplomat for the first time.

"Antonio Guterres has won this race because he was the best candidate for the race," Britain's U.N. Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said before entering Thursday's meeting. "It was a crowded field, it was a strong field and I'm delighted that seven of the 13 candidates were women but I and others have always been clear that while now is the right time for a woman that we were going to pick the strongest person."

Ban stressed that "as the ninth man to serve as secretary-general, Mr. Guterres has a special responsibility to include, support and empower the world's women and girls."

The veteran politician and diplomat said in an interview with The Associated Press and two other news organizations during his campaign that if he got the job his aim would be to work with all countries to help solve the myriad problems on the global agenda.

Guterres will almost certainly select a woman as deputy secretary-general and he said in the interview that one of the things that is "crucial" at the male-dominated United Nations is "to have gender parity."

He said that his 10 years as the U.N. high commissioner for refugees, which ended in December, were "excellent preparation" for a secretary-general who needs to be an honest broker and be seen by countries as independent in order to promote consensus and overcome crises.

"I think we are living in a world where we see a multiplication of new conflicts, and you see an enormous difficulty in solving the conflicts," Guterres said. "There is a clear lack of capacity in the international community to prevent and to solve conflicts."

What's needed, he said, is a new "diplomacy for peace" which requires discreet diplomatic contacts and shuttling among key players in conflicts and disputes. The secretary-general should also engage as much as possible and "act with humility to try to create the conditions for member states that are the crucial actors in any process to be able to come together and overcome their differences," he said.

The 10 years as high commissioner were "the most remarkable experience you can imagine," he said. "It's the most fascinating work you can have, very demanding ... and I gained a lot of experience in dealing with all crises and all governments" involved in crises everywhere.

After his term ended, Guterres said, he felt an obligation to do something "having had this dramatic experience of dealing with people that are suffering enormously" as refugees and having no solution to their plight.

He said the place where he could probably contribute the most to solve that problem and other global crises was at the United Nations so he decided to apply to be secretary-general.</s>(CNN) The United Nations Security Council Thursday formally approved the nomination of former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres to be the next secretary-general.

The recommendation now goes to the 193-member UN General Assembly for final ratification.

Guterres, who was head of the UN's refugee agency for 10 years until 2015, emerged as the Security Council's runaway favorite after the latest in a series of straw polls on Wednesday.

The informal votes were used by the Security Council to thin the ranks of the 13 candidates who entered the race to become the new face of the UN.

"We have a clear favorite and his name is Antonio Guterres," Russian UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, who is president of the Security Council, said when announcing the recommendation.

He said the full UN membership would vote on the issue Friday at 10 a.m. "We hope it can be done by acclamation," Churkin said.

The quick approval signaled that Russia and the United States could work together on UN issues despite the serious differences dividing them in hotspots around the globe.

Guterres will confront a range of issues, from war-torn Syria and Yemen to the acquisition of nuclear weapons by North Korea and the refugee crisis in Europe.

If selected by the membership for the five-year term, he would succeed Ban Ki-moon, a South Korean whose second five-year term ends on December 31.

Samantha Powers, the United States' Ambassador to the UN, said the recommendation of Guterres went smoothly because he was widely considered the most competent person for the job based on his experience, vision and versatility on a range of issues.

"It was remarkably uncontentious, uncontroversial, and I think it speaks to the fact that each of us represent our nation and each of us know how fundamentally important this position is in terms of the welfare of our own citizens," Powers said after the Security Council's recommendation.

"If we have these transnational threats, and we don't have somebody at the helm of the United Nations that can mobilize coalitions, that can make the tools of this institution ... work better for people, that's going to be more pain and more suffering and more dysfunction than we can afford."

Guterres, a trained engineer who worked as an assistant professor before entering politics in 1974, led his country from 1995 to 2002 as head of the Socialist Party.

From 2005 to 2015, he served as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. He is credited with cutting costs at the agency during his tenure, as well as lifting its performance as it grappled with the migrant crisis.

A practicing Catholic, Guterres remarried after his first wife died of cancer, and has two children.

In Guterres' vision statement in applying for the position, he wrote of the challenges facing the world in terms of rising inequality, terrorism and organized crime, climate change and the proliferation of armed actors internationally.

He wrote that the UN was "uniquely placed to connect the dots to overcome these challenges," but that change and reform are needed.

"People in need of protection are not getting enough," he wrote. "The most vulnerable, such as women and children, are an absolute priority. We must make sure that when someone sees the Blue Flag, she or he can say: 'I am protected'."</s>(CNN) The United Nations Security Council Thursday formally approved the nomination of former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres to be the next secretary-general.

The recommendation now goes to the 193-member UN General Assembly for final ratification.

Guterres, who was head of the UN's refugee agency for 10 years until 2015, emerged as the Security Council's runaway favorite after the latest in a series of straw polls on Wednesday.

The informal votes were used by the Security Council to thin the ranks of the 13 candidates who entered the race to become the new face of the UN.

"We have a clear favorite and his name is Antonio Guterres," Russian UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, who is president of the Security Council, said when announcing the recommendation.

He said the full UN membership would vote on the issue Friday at 10 a.m. "We hope it can be done by acclamation," Churkin said.

The quick approval signaled that Russia and the United States could work together on UN issues despite the serious differences dividing them in hotspots around the globe.

Guterres will confront a range of issues, from war-torn Syria and Yemen to the acquisition of nuclear weapons by North Korea and the refugee crisis in Europe.

If selected by the membership for the five-year term, he would succeed Ban Ki-moon, a South Korean whose second five-year term ends on December 31.

Samantha Powers, the United States' Ambassador to the UN, said the recommendation of Guterres went smoothly because he was widely considered the most competent person for the job based on his experience, vision and versatility on a range of issues.

"It was remarkably uncontentious, uncontroversial, and I think it speaks to the fact that each of us represent our nation and each of us know how fundamentally important this position is in terms of the welfare of our own citizens," Powers said after the Security Council's recommendation.

"If we have these transnational threats, and we don't have somebody at the helm of the United Nations that can mobilize coalitions, that can make the tools of this institution ... work better for people, that's going to be more pain and more suffering and more dysfunction than we can afford."

Guterres, a trained engineer who worked as an assistant professor before entering politics in 1974, led his country from 1995 to 2002 as head of the Socialist Party.

From 2005 to 2015, he served as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. He is credited with cutting costs at the agency during his tenure, as well as lifting its performance as it grappled with the migrant crisis.

A practicing Catholic, Guterres remarried after his first wife died of cancer, and has two children.

In Guterres' vision statement in applying for the position, he wrote of the challenges facing the world in terms of rising inequality, terrorism and organized crime, climate change and the proliferation of armed actors internationally.

He wrote that the UN was "uniquely placed to connect the dots to overcome these challenges," but that change and reform are needed.

"People in need of protection are not getting enough," he wrote. "The most vulnerable, such as women and children, are an absolute priority. We must make sure that when someone sees the Blue Flag, she or he can say: 'I am protected'."</s>UNITED NATIONS — Portugal’s former prime minister Antonio Guterres, who was formally nominated on Thursday to be the next U.N. secretary-general, said he faces “huge challenges” and hopes to see unity and consensus during his term.

Security Council President Vitaly Churkin, Russia’s U.N. ambassador, said members approved a resolution by acclamation recommending Guterres for a 5-year term during a closed-door meeting.

The council’s recommendation now goes to the General Assembly for formal approval, which is virtually certain. The 193-member world body is expected to vote on Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s successor next week. Ban’s second 5-year term ends Dec. 31.

Speaking at the Foreign Ministry in Lisbon, Guterres said that he hoped the consensus vote in the council, which has been deeply divided over Syria and many other issues, would turn out to be symbolic, bringing “swift decisions which the troubled world we live in demands.”

Ban told reporters in Rome that he considers Guterres “a superb choice.”

He praised his “deep compassion” as U.N. refugee chief for 10 years “for the millions of people who have been forced from their homes,” as well as “his wide knowledge of world affairs and his lively intellect.”

Russia’s Churkin called Guterres a “great choice,” describing him to reporters after the vote as “a person who talks to everybody, speaks his mind, a very outgoing, open person.”

He cited Guterres’ experience as prime minister and as the U.N. refugee chief where he traveled the world and saw “some of the most gruesome conflicts we have to deal with.”

Guterres topped all six informal polls in the council after receiving high marks from almost every diplomat for his performance in the first-ever question-and-answer sessions for candidates in the General Assembly. He was the only candidate of the 10 in the race to receive no “discourage” votes in Wednesday’s poll, which was the first to use colored ballots to distinguish the votes of the five veto-wielding permanent members — the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France.

The result disappointed campaigners for a woman or an East European to be the world’s top diplomat for the first time.

“Antonio Guterres has won this race because he was the best candidate for the race,” Britain’s U.N. Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said before entering Thursday’s meeting. “It was a crowded field, it was a strong field and I’m delighted that seven of the 13 candidates were women but I and others have always been clear that while now is the right time for a woman that we were going to pick the strongest person.”

Ban stressed that “as the ninth man to serve as secretary-general, Mr. Guterres has a special responsibility to include, support and empower the world’s women and girls.”

The veteran politician and diplomat said in an interview with The Associated Press and two other news organizations during his campaign that if he got the job his aim would be to work with all countries to help solve the myriad problems on the global agenda.

Guterres will almost certainly select a woman as deputy secretary-general and he said in the interview that one of the things that is “crucial” at the male-dominated United Nations is “to have gender parity.”

He said that his 10 years as the U.N. high commissioner for refugees, which ended in December, were “excellent preparation” for a secretary-general who needs to be an honest broker and be seen by countries as independent in order to promote consensus and overcome crises.

“I think we are living in a world where we see a multiplication of new conflicts, and you see an enormous difficulty in solving the conflicts,” Guterres said. “There is a clear lack of capacity in the international community to prevent and to solve conflicts.”

What’s needed, he said, is a new “diplomacy for peace” which requires discreet diplomatic contacts and shuttling among key players in conflicts and disputes. The secretary-general should also engage as much as possible and “act with humility to try to create the conditions for member states that are the crucial actors in any process to be able to come together and overcome their differences,” he said.

The 10 years as high commissioner were “the most remarkable experience you can imagine,” he said. “It’s the most fascinating work you can have, very demanding … and I gained a lot of experience in dealing with all crises and all governments” involved in crises everywhere.

After his term ended, Guterres said, he felt an obligation to do something “having had this dramatic experience of dealing with people that are suffering enormously” as refugees and having no solution to their plight.

He said the place where he could probably contribute the most to solve that problem and other global crises was at the United Nations so he decided to apply to be secretary-general.</s>After nine months of cocktail-party campaigning, interviews over the internet and East-versus-West politicking, a defining vote in the race to replace Ban Ki-moon as U.N. secretary-general takes place Wednesday in the United Nations Security Council chambers.

Supporters of ex-Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres -- who has led through five rounds of straw polls -- will be looking to limit defections to Bulgaria's Kristalina Georgieva, a European Commission vice president nominated by her government last week after another candidate struggled.

At stake is oversight of a 71-year-old institution with 105,000 peacekeepers deployed around the world and an annual budget of more than $13 billion.

In a year in which the U.N. explicitly sought female candidates, Georgieva's entry could garner crucial support from Russia, which has said publicly it would prefer a candidate from Eastern Europe. Previous UN chiefs have come from Norway, Sweden, Myanmar, Austria, Peru, Egypt, Ghana and South Korea.

"We do believe that it is the turn of Eastern Europe to provide the next secretary-general," said Vitaly Churkin, Russia's ambassador to the UN and president of the Security Council. "We would very much like to see a woman."

While still unofficial, Wednesday's vote will be the first to use color-coded ballots that will show publicly whether a candidate has the support of the five veto-wielding members of the Security Council. A negative vote from one of the five isn't a death knell -- Kofi Annan faced one in his successful 1996 race -- but it's a big hurdle to overcome.

The 63-year-old Georgieva, who holds a Ph.D. in economics and was once a vice president at the World Bank, said she has the experience to help solve seemingly intractable issues such as the Syrian refugee crisis and internal U.N. reforms.

"I can get things done," Georgieva said during a two-hour question-and-answer session at the General Assembly on Oct. 3. "Whether it is on management or integrating different sectors, I have led successively reforms that have made organizations more vibrant."

Although Guterres, who ran the UN's refugee agency for a decade, has previously won the support of 80 percent of Security Council members, he faces challenges of geography and gender.

"I cannot change what I am," Guterres said in a Sept. 21 interview with Bloomberg News, before Georgieva entered the race. "If the decision is that the symbolic value of having a woman is what matters, then choose another person."

Guterres presented himself during the campaign as "an honest broker" who will come down hard on U.N. peacekeepers accused of rape. He said that fixing the organization requires the protection of whistle-blowers who expose sexual misconduct, corruption and other illegal activity.

The 15 members of the Security Council are expected to pass their endorsement this month to the General Assembly, which takes a symbolic vote on the decision. While the process to date has been unprecedented in terms of transparency, it's now reached the endgame, Russia's Churkin said.

"I do sense this feeling of constructive fatigue among members of the Security Council," Churkin said, adding that he would move to schedule a binding vote soon.

Georgieva entered the race after the Bulgarian government switched its support from her compatriot Irina Bokova, the director-general of the UN's Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Bokova has fared poorly in five informal straw polls but has refused to withdraw.

The late entry could still backfire. Last week, the ambassador for Ukraine -- which has a rotating spot on the Security Council through 2017 -- told reporters he wasn't pleased with Georgieva's entry.

"She is too late," said Ambassador Volodymyr Yelchenko, who has clashed with Russia at the U.N. over Moscow's annexation of Crimea and support for rebels in Eastern Ukraine. "The way it is done is not fully correct."

Wednesday's vote will determine if the rest of the Security Council agrees.</s>(CNN) Former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres is set to become the next United Nations secretary-general, after the 15 Security Council members agreed to put his name forward to a formal vote.

Guterres, who was head of the UN's refugee agency for 10 years until 2015, emerged as the Security Council's runaway favorite after the latest in a series of straw polls on Wednesday.

Vitaly Churkin, the Russian ambassador to the UN and current Security Council president, told reporters that Guterres would face a vote in the Security Council on Thursday.

"Today, after our sixth straw poll we have a clear favorite, and his name is Antonio Guterres," he said.

Antonio Guterres speaks to reporters at the UN headquarters in New York in April.

Sixth straw poll

The secretary-general of the UN is appointed in a two-stage process. A candidate is first recommended by the Security Council, and must then be approved by the 193-member General Assembly.

Thirteen candidates entered the race, necessitating a series of straw polls held by the Security Council to encourage a thinning of the field and to help to settle on a single candidate.

In every ballot, the 15 Security Council members assessed each candidate by voting either "encourage," "discourage" or "no opinion."

In the latest vote, Guterres received 13 "encourage" votes, no "discourage" votes and two votes of "no opinion."

"A historic scene" - Security Council says Antonio Guterres is clear favourite for next Secretary-General https://t.co/icPlWF1MOZ #RusPres pic.twitter.com/HjMMXykGe5 — United Nations (@UN) 5 October 2016

The next closest candidates, Vuk Jeremic of Serbia and Miroslav Lajcak of the Slovak Republic, each received seven "encourage" votes and six "discourage" votes, while Bulgaria's Irina Bokova received seven "encourage" votes and seven "discourage" votes.

Guterres, 67, will replace the incumbent secretary-general, South Korea's Ban Ki-moon, whose second five-year term ends on December 31.

While there is technically no limit to the number of terms a secretary-general may serve, none has held office for more than two terms.

Former Portuguese PM

Guterres, a trained engineer who worked as an assistant professor before entering politics in 1974, led his country from 1995 to 2002 as head of the Socialist Party.

From 2005 to 2015, he served as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. He is credited with cutting costs at the agency during his tenure, as well as lifting its performance as it grappled with the migrant crisis.

A practicing Catholic, Guterres remarried after his first wife died of cancer, and has two children.

In Guterres' vision statement in applying for the position, he wrote of the challenges facing the world in terms of rising inequality, terrorism and organized crime, climate change and the proliferation of armed actors internationally.

He wrote that the UN was "uniquely placed to connect the dots to overcome these challenges," but that change and reform was needed.

"People in need of protection are not getting enough. The most vulnerable, such as women and children, are an absolute priority. We must make sure that when someone sees the Blue Flag, she or he can say: 'I am protected'."

Speaking to reporters in Lisbon, Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said he had congratulated Guterres.

"It is great for the United Nations because the best one was elected, and we many times have the feeling internationally that because of imbalances, weights and counterweights, not always the best is chosen. Here the best one was chosen," he said.

"This is very good for the world, very good for the United Nations, and it is very good for Portugal."

US, UK ambassadors praise choice

The ambassadors to the UN for the US and the UK -- both veto-wielding permanent members of the Security Council, along with Russia, China and France -- welcomed the result.

Samantha Power, US ambassador to the UN, said that "in the end there was just a candidate whose experience, vision and versatility across a range of areas proved compelling. People united around a person who has impressed throughout the process and has impressed across multiple axes in his service in Portuguese politics and at the helm of UNHCR."

Matthew Rycroft, the UK's ambassador to the UN, paid tribute to the seven women who had run for the role.

While it was "high time" for a woman secretary-general, he said, "it's fair to say that Antonio Guterres has come through this new and improved and more transparent process at the top of the league of the thirteen who competed."

He said the world needed a strong secretary-general who would "provide a convening power and a moral authority at a time when the world is divided on issues, above all like Syria."

"And I think that Antonio Guterres has demonstrated at the hearings and throughout this process that he is the person to do that."

Just spoke to @AntGuterres to congratulate him personally & on behalf of UK. Delighted he will be #NextSG. Lots to be done, together — Matthew Rycroft (@MatthewRycroft1) 5 October 2016

Human Rights Watch welcomed the selection of Guterres, with the group's UN director, Louis Charbonneau, describing him as "an outspoken and effective advocate for refugees with the potential to strike a radically new tone on human rights at a time of great challenges."

Eastern European nations felt it was their turn

Bulgaria's Kristalina Georgieva was considered Guterres' closest rival.

Guterres has long been the front-runner for the role.

Prior to Wednesday's vote, the candidate considered his closest potential rival was Bulgaria's Kristalina Georgieva, who only entered the race last month after that government said its other candidate, Bokova, had failed to win enough support in earlier straw polls.

Despite Guterres' clear lead, it was thought he could potentially face a veto from Russia, which had said it wanted a woman candidate, and would back an Eastern European nominee.

But Georgieva, currently serving as European Commissioner for Budget and Human Resources, ended up back in the field, with five "encourage" votes, eight "discourage" votes and two votes of "no opinion."

There was a strong sentiment among Eastern European nations that it was their region's turn to produce the next secretary-general, based on an informal notion of a rotation system -- although this is not provided for in the UN charter.

Many of the 13 candidates for the role hailed from Eastern Europe.</s>The United Nations Security Council on Thursday unanimously nominated former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres to be the next Secretary-General, recommending that the 193-member General Assembly appoint him for five years from Jan. 1, 2017.

The General Assembly is likely to meet next week to approve the appointment of Guterres, 67, who would replace Ban Ki-moon, 72, of South Korea. Ban will step down at the end of 2016 after serving two terms.

Guterres was prime minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002 and served as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees from 2005 to 2015.</s>6 October 2016 –New York (ABC Live): António Guterres : The Security Council today formally chose the former Prime Minister of Portugal, António Guterres, as its nominee to be the next Secretary-General of the United Nations for a five-year term when incumbent Ban Ki-moon steps down on 31 December.

The recommendation, made in a resolution adopted in a private meeting by acclamation, now goes to the 193-member General Assembly for formal approval.

On an official visit to Italy, Mr. Ban said in Rome this morning that Mr. António Guterres is “an excellent choice,” noting that the two had worked closely during Mr. Guterres “long and outstanding tenure” as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

“António Guterres showed deep compassion for the millions of people who were forced to leave their homes,” Mr. Ban said, adding: “His past experience as Prime Minister of Portugal, his extensive knowledge of world affairs and his keen intelligence will serve him to lead the United Nations at a crucial period.”

Under procedures for appointing the world body’s new chief, after the recommendation is transmitted from the Council to the Assembly, a draft resolution is issued for the Assembly to take action. After appropriate consultations with Member States, the Assembly President fixes a date for the draft to be taken up.

The last five Secretaries-General were appointed by the Assembly through a resolution adopted by consensus. A vote will take place only if a Member State requests it and a simple majority of those voting would be required for the Assembly to adopt the resolution. But the Assembly could decide that the decision requires a two-thirds majority. If a vote is taken, it will be by secret ballot

The UN Charter, signed in 1945 as the foundation of the Organization, says relatively little about how a Secretary-General is to be selected, aside from Article 97, which notes that the candidate “shall be appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council.”

At its first session in 1946, the General Assembly was much more active in the selection process. It created resolution A/RES/1/11 determining that the Council take the lead in the selection process, agree on a single name in a private meeting, and pass that name down to the General Assembly for a vote.

Yesterday, Ambassador Vitaly Churkin of Russia, which holds the Security Council presidency for the month, informed the President of the Assembly, Peter Thomson, that after the sixth informal “straw poll” for the position of Secretary-General, Mr. Guterres had emerged as the clear favourite.

In addition to Mr. Guterres, 12 other candidates were in the running to succeed the current UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, who leaves office at the end of the year.

Today’s decision by the Security Council brings the UN closer towards the culmination of an historic process: the selection of a new United Nations Secretary-General, traditionally decided behind closed-doors by a few powerful countries, has for the first time in history, involved public discussions with each candidate campaigning for the world’s top diplomatic post.

These so-called ‘informal briefings’ between the candidates, UN Member States and civil society representatives kicked off on 12 April, when the first three candidates presented their ‘vision statements’ and answered questions on how they would promote sustainable development, improve efforts to create peace, protect human rights, and deal with huge humanitarian catastrophes should they be selected to lead the Organization.

In addition, this past July, the UN held its first-ever globally televised and webcast townhall-style debate in the General Assembly Hall, where the confirmed candidates at the time took questions from diplomats and the public at large.</s>WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Former Portuguese Prime Minister António Guterres has emerged as the clear favourite to become the next United Nations Secretary-General following the sixth secret ballot held Wednesday by the UN Security Council. It is expected to take a formal decision Thursday and forward Guterres' name to the 193-Member General Assembly for final confirmation.



Ambassador Vitaly Churkin of Russia, which holds the Security Council presidency for the month, informed the President of the Assembly, Peter Thomson, that in the sixth informal 'straw poll' for the position of Secretary-General, Guterres emerged as the clear favourite among the Council's 15 members.



Churkin said the Council's meeting Thursday to take a formal vote is expected to pass by acclamation. That decision would then be formally submitted to the General Assembly for its consideration.



In addition to Guterres, who served as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees from 2005 to 2015, 12 other candidates were in the running to succeed the current UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, who leaves office at the end of the year.



The selection of a new United Nations Secretary-General, traditionally decided behind closed-doors by a few powerful countries, has for the first time in history, involved public discussions with each candidate campaigning for the world's top diplomatic post.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX</s>UNITED NATIONS, United States: Portugal’s former prime minister Antonio Guterres is poised to become the next secretary general of the United Nations following a decisive vote by the Security Council on Wednesday.

Guterres, who led the UN’s refugee agency for a decade, won backing in the straw poll from 13 of the 15 council members while none of the five veto-holding powers blocked his candidacy.

Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin emerged from the council chamber along with the 14 other ambassadors to declare that Guterres was on course to succeed Ban Ki-moon as the world’s diplomat-in-chief.

“We have a clear favorite and his name is Antonio Guterres,” he said.

The council will undertake a formal vote on Thursday to confirm the choice of Guterres, Churkin announced, adding that he expected the selection to be “by acclamation.”

“We wish Mister Guterres well in discharging his duties as the secretary general of the United Nations in the next five years,” he added.

The 67-year-old socialist politician has pledged to revamp the United Nations to boost its peacemaking efforts and promote human rights.

During the secret ballot, Guterres won four positive votes and one “no opinion” from veto holders, clearing the way for him to become the new UN chief.

Veto powers Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States used color-coded ballots to indicate for the first time whether they intended to block a candidate.

Guterres, who was Portugal’s prime minister from 1995 to 2002, had held the number-one spot in the previous five informal votes, but the quick consensus decision took many diplomats by surprise.

He will be the first former head of government to become UN chief, a position that has been held by several foreign ministers, most of whom were chosen during closed-door meetings by the Security Council.

This time around, the selection involved a new, more open process that allowed candidates to appear at hearings to make their pitch for the top job before the General Assembly.

Good news for the UN

 Once the Security Council formally endorses him, Guterres will be presented to the General Assembly for approval. The new UN chief begins his five-year term on January 1.

France’s Ambassador Francois Delattre said the choice of Guterres — who speaks French, English and Spanish as well as Portuguese — was “good news for the United Nations,” while British envoy Matthew Rycroft said he will make a “very strong, effective secretary-general.”

US Ambassador Samantha Power described Guterres’ experience and vision as “compelling” and stressed the need for an effective leader at the UN helm during a time of multiple global crises.

“We are united in understanding the gravity of the threats that are out there,” Power said.

Describing Guterres as “exceptional,” Portugal’s President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said the result was “very good for the world, it is very good for the United Nations, it is very good for Portugal.”

Human Rights Watch’s UN director Louis Charbonneau said Guterres could “strike a radically new tone on human rights at a time of great challenge,” but cautioned that he will be judged on his ability to stand up to the veto powers.

Georgieva’s bid falters 

 There were 10 candidates in the race to become the next UN chief, including EU budget commissioner Kristalina Georgieva from Bulgaria, who entered the fray just last week.

A former World Bank vice president, Georgieva failed to garner crucial support from two of the permanent members, with speculation that Russia opposed her candidacy.

UNESCO chief Irina Bokova, who was pushed aside by the Bulgarian government to make way for Georgieva, received two negative votes from veto-holders.

Throughout the campaign, there had been calls for the council to choose the first woman secretary general and a candidate from Eastern Europe, the only region that has not been represented in the top job.

Another high-profile woman in the race, Argentina’s Foreign Minister Susana Malcorra, received one negative vote from a veto-holder, while Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak received two, diplomats said.

New Zealand’s former prime minister and head of the UN Development Program Helen Clark received three negative votes from the veto powers, as did Serbia’s ex-foreign minister Vuk Jeremic, Macedonia’s ex-foreign minister Srgjan Kerim and Natalia Gherman of Moldova.

Slovenia’s former president Danilo Turk received four negative votes from the permanent five members.
The United Nations Security Council affirms the first step in the election of Portuguese António Guterres as the next Secretary-General of the United Nations. If ratified by the General Assembly, he will take office on January 1, 2017.