The United Nations Security Council on Thursday unanimously nominated former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres to be the next Secretary-General, recommending that the 193-member General Assembly appoint him for five years from Jan. 1, 2017.

The General Assembly is likely to meet next week to approve the appointment of Guterres, 67, who would replace Ban Ki-moon, 72, of South Korea. Ban will step down at the end of 2016 after serving two terms.

Guterres was prime minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002 and served as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees from 2005 to 2015. </s> Former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres took the oath of office on Monday to be the ninth United Nations Secretary-General with his hand on a copy of the U.N. Charter in front of the 193-member General Assembly.

Guterres, 67, will replace Ban Ki-moon, 72, of South Korea on Jan. 1. Ban steps down at the end of 2016 after serving two five-year terms. Guterres was Portugal's prime minister from 1995 to 2002 and U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees from 2005 to 2015. </s> The 193-member United Nations General Assembly appointed former Portuguese prime minister Antonio Guterres on Thursday as the ninth secretary-general of the world body for five years from Jan. 1, 2017.

Guterres, 67, will replace Ban Ki-moon, 72, of South Korea. Ban will step down at the end of 2016 after serving two terms.

Guterres was prime minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002 and served as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees from 2005 to 2015. </s> UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Former Portuguese prime minister Antonio Guterres has been sworn in as Secretary-General of the United Nations, taking over from Ban Ki-moon at the end of the month.

The former U.N. refugee chief was elected by acclamation in the General Assembly in October and takes over from Ban on Jan. 1.

The 67-year-old Guterres becomes the ninth U.N. chief in the world body’s 71-year history.

Guterres performed well in answering questions before the General Assembly while campaigning for the job. His executive experience as prime minister and as the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees from 2005-2015 propelled him to first place among the 13 candidates vying for the job in informal polls in the Security Council.

Monday’s swearing-in came after the 193 members paid tribute to Ban. </s> UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres was sworn in on Monday as the ninth United Nations Secretary-General, pledging to personally help broker peace in various conflicts and reform the 71-year old world body to become more effective.

Guterres, 67, will replace Ban Ki-moon, 72, of South Korea on Jan. 1. Ban steps down at the end of 2016 after two five-year terms. Guterres was Portugal’s prime minister from 1995 to 2002 and U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees from 2005 to 2015.

“From the acute crises in Syria, Yemen, South Sudan and elsewhere, to long-running disputes including the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, we need mediation, arbitration as well as creative diplomacy,” Guterres said.

“As part of my good offices I am ready to engage personally in conflict resolution where it brings added value,” he told the 193-member General Assembly.

Guterres beat out 12 other candidates, seven of whom were women, amid a push for the first woman to be elected. He said on Monday he aimed to have gender parity among senior U.N. leadership within his five year term.

Diplomats said Guterres is expected to shortly name Nigeria’s environment minister Amina Mohammed as his deputy secretary-general. He is also planning to appoint a woman as his chief of staff before the end of the year, diplomats said.

Before her appointment as environment minister a year ago, Mohammed was U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s special adviser on post-2015 development planning - a role that culminated last year with the adoption by the General Assembly of sustainable development goals for the next 15 years.

Guterres is the first former head of government to be elected to run the world body and that experience will be reflected in how he operates, diplomats said.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon (back L) and Portugal's President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (L) watch as Secretary-General-designate Mr. Antonio Guterres of Portugal is sworn in by President of the UN General Assembly Peter Thomson (R) at UN headquarters in New York, U.S., December 12, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

“He’s looking for a big shake-up, reshuffle,” said a senior U.N. diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity. “He’s looking to create ... a different feeling, with the under-secretary-generals much more part of a collective leadership of the U.N.”

“Having what he calls a cabinet, like when he was prime minister, his senior officials would come together every week and collectively they would have responsibility for the totality of the organization,” the diplomat said.

Diplomats were now watching to see who Guterres appoints to senior U.N. positions amid speculation by diplomats and U.N. officials that China would like one of its nationals to head peacekeeping and that Russia is keen to have a senior role. </s> The United Nations General Assembly formally appointed Antonio Guterres as the new secretary-general of the United Nations, replacing Ban Ki-moon. PHOTO | FILE | AFP

The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday formally appointed Antonio Guterres as the new secretary-general of the United Nations, replacing Ban Ki-moon.

The 193 member states adopted by acclamation a resolution appointing the former prime minister of Portugal for a five-year term beginning January 1.

The socialist politician, who also served as UN refugee chief for a decade, is expected to play a more prominent role as the world's diplomat-in-chief than Ban, the South Korean former foreign minister who will step down after two five-year terms.

Guterres won unanimous support from the UN Security Council during a vote last week that capped the most transparent campaign ever held at the United Nations for the top post.

The 67-year-old polyglot campaigned on a pledge to promote human rights and enact reforms within the UN system, seen as clunky and too slow to respond to unfolding disasters.

His appointment comes at a time of global anxiety over the ongoing war in Syria, the refugee crisis and raging conflicts in South Sudan and Yemen.

The Security Council is deadlocked over Syria after two draft resolutions were defeated in separate votes over the weekend, one of which was vetoed by Damascus ally Russia. </s> UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations’ 193-member states are expected to appoint Portugal’s former Prime Minister Antonio Guterres as the world body’s next secretary-general.

Peter Thompson, president of the General Assembly, said in a statement that he hoped Guterres would be approved by a unanimous vote on Thursday.

Guterres, 67, was nominated by acclamation in the 15-member Security Council last week to replace Ban Ki-moon whose second five-year term ends on Dec. 31. He would be the ninth secretary-general in the organization’s 71-year history.

Aside from leading Portugal from 1995 to 2002, Guterres spent 10 years as the United Nations’ high commissioner on refugees from 2005 to 2015.

Guterres’ nomination disappointed those who had campaigned for a woman to lead the world body for the first time and also those who hoped the next secretary-general would come from an Eastern European country, but diplomats stressed they were voting for the best candidate regardless of other criteria.

“He’ll take over on the first of January at a crucial time for the U.N., when it is facing huge challenges on peace and security but also on international development and human rights. And the world needs a strong United Nations and he is the best possible leader to build on the work of his predecessors to provide that leadership,” Britain’s U.N. Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said.

The secretary-general manages a staff of 44,000 in addition to more than 100,000 peacekeepers. The position’s responsibilities include dealing with issues such as human rights, refugees and climate change as well as fund raising for the world body’s various campaigns. </s> Ban Ki-moon, left, hugs the new U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres after Guterres was sworn in at U.N. headquarters. | Photo Credit: AP

Former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres was sworn in Monday as Secretary-General of the United Nations, becoming the ninth U.N. chief in the body’s 71-year history.

The former U.N. refugee chief was elected to the top job by acclamation in the General Assembly in October. He will take over duties from Ban Ki-moon on Jan. 1.

Guterres, 67, performed well in answering questions before assembly members and his executive experience as prime minister and as the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees from 2005-2015 propelled him to first place among 13 candidates vying for the job in informal polls in the Security Council. After the sixth poll, the council nominated him by acclamation and his name was sent to the assembly for final approval.

After being sworn in by General Assembly President John William Ashe, Guterres addressed the 193 member nations, saying the world body must work to simplify, decentralise and make more flexible its sprawling bureaucracy.

“It benefits no one if takes nine months to deploy a staff member to the field,” he said. “The United Nations needs to be nimble, efficient and effective. It must focus more on delivery and less on process, more on people and less on bureaucracy.”

The swearing-in came after the 193 General Assembly members paid tribute to Ban, ending with a standing ovation for the native South Korean.

The swearing-in ceremony included the U.N.’s top leaders and was attended by dignitaries including Myanmar politician and Nobel peace prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi.

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Samantha Power lauded Ban’s accomplishments while in office and said she was confident Guterres is the right person to replace him. “He is the man for the job in such challenging times,” she said.

The selection of a new secretary-general had traditionally been decided behind closed doors by a few powerful countries. But this year, the process involved public discussions with each candidate who was campaigning for the job.

U.N. chiefs are charged with promoting sustainable development, working for peace around the globe, protecting human rights and dealing with humanitarian catastrophes. </s> UNITED NATIONS—The U.N. General Assembly on Thursday officially appointed António Guterres of Portugal as its next secretary-general as he pledged to combat terrorism and extremism while also fighting “xenophobia” and populism.

The 193-member General Assembly voted by acclamation after the Security Council last week nominated Mr. Guterres for the post following straw polls that showed him leading a dozen other candidates.

Mr....
Portugal's António Guterres begins his term as United Nations Secretary-General, replacing South Korea's Ban Ki-moon.