International News

UNITED NATIONS, United States, Oct 13, (APP/AFP) – The UN General Assembly on Thursday will appoint Antonio Guterres as the new secretary-general of the United Nations, setting a shift in motion toward a more reformist, high-profile leadership at the world body. The former prime minister of Portugal who also served as UN refugee chief will not take over from Ban Ki-moon until January 1, but he already faces high expectations as the world’s next diplomat-in-chief. UN diplomats say they expect Guterres — the first former head of government in the job — to shake up the world body and play a more prominent role than Ban, the former South Korean foreign minister known for his low-key style. French Ambassador Francois Delattre described Guterres as the “best possible captain during this stormy period” of global crises, praising him as a reformer, a unifier and a “humanist with a genuine moral compass.” “Guterres has shown as head of UNHCR that he is a man who seeks human contact and is hands-on,” he said.