UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appointed to second term

WASHINGTON

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was appointed on Friday to a second term in office by the General Assembly.

Speaking in the General Assembly hall, Guterres reflected on the "solemn moment," telling the member states he is "deeply grateful for the trust you have placed in me."

"We are truly at a crossroads with consequential choices before us, paradigms are shifting, old orthodoxies are being flipped and we are writing our own history with the choices we make right now. It can go either way: break down and perpetual crisis, or breakthrough and a prospect of a greener, safer and better future for all," he said.

Guterres will begin his second five-year term on Jan. 1, 2022. The former Portuguese prime minister was elected by the assembly to succeed Ban Ki-moon in October 2016.

UN General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir congratulated Guterres over his re-election, saying: "I welcome the strong universal support from the Member States for your reappointment and urge all Member States to continue to empower you to steer this Organization to meet the needs of those we serve."

Guterres' second term ends Dec. 31, 2026.