Former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres was chosen unanimously Wednesday by the United Nations Security Council to be the next UN Secretary-General.
Security Council: 's António Guterres is 'clear favourite' to be next @UN Secretary-General – https://t.co/fJjP1E2eVs pic.twitter.com/xT41YoOM7R
— UN News Centre (@UN_News_Centre) October 5, 2016
The unanimous vote in New York by the UN Security Council was not vetoed by the five permanent members of the group. The decision now goes for ratification to the UN General Assembly.
Guterres, 66, was one of 13 candidates for the post; his service as UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) placed him head and shoulders above the other candidates. Until Wednesday morning, 10 candidates remained for final review; of those, five were female.
The new secretary-general will begin his new post in January, succeeding Ban Ki-moon as he steps down from a 10-year term.