Reuters :
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was appointed for a second-five year-term on Friday by the 193-member UN General Assembly.
“I will give it my all to ensure the blossoming of trust between and among nations large and small, to build bridges, and to engage relentlessly in confidence building,” Guterres told the General Assembly after taking the oath of office.
The 15-member Security Council earlier this month recommended the General Assembly re-appoint Guterres. His second term starts on beginning on Jan. 1, 2022.
Guterres succeeded Ban Ki-moon in January 2017, just weeks before Donald Trump became US president. Much of Guterres’ first term was focused on placating Trump, who questioned the value of the United Nations and multilateralism.
The United States is the largest UN financial contributor, responsible for 22% of the regular budget and around a quarter of the peacekeeping budget. President Joe Biden, who took office in January, has started restoring funding cuts made by Trump to UN agencies and re-engaged with the world body.
