The incoming United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres officially begins his 5 year term today after being sworn in on the 12 December, 2016.
Guterres, a former Prime Minister of Portugal (1995 to 2002) and former UN High Commissioner for Refugees (2005-2015) took the oath of office on the 12th December following the Assembly’s tribute to outgoing Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who steps down after leading the global Organization for the past 10 years.
In his first official message, the Secretary-General made a global appeal for peace in 2017.
“All that we strive for as a human family – dignity and hope, progress and prosperity – depends on peace. But peace depends on us. I appeal to you all to join me in committing to peace, today and every day. Let us make 2017 a year for peace,” he said.
Commenting on the Secretary Generals’ message UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Residents Representative Una McCauley stated that “The topic of peace is especially relevant as Sri Lanka is uniquely placed to forge a path for long term and sustainable peace. On the dawn of the new year the United Nations remains committed to supporting the people of Sri Lanka on the journey towards peace and reconciliation.”
