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Tag: António Guterres

  • Portugal nominates UN Secretary General, Guterres for second term

    Portugal nominates UN Secretary General, Guterres for second term

    The Portuguese government has officially nominated UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as a candidate for a second term in office.

    UN spokesman, Mr Stephane Dujarric, disclosed this at his daily news briefing in New York on Wednesday.

    He said the nomination came in a letter addressed to the Presidents of the General Assembly and the Security Council.

    Guterres, 71, a former Prime Minister of Portugal, became the ninth Secretary-General following his election by the UN General Assembly on Oct. 13, 2016.

    On Jan. 11, Dujarric confirmed that the UN chief, whose current term expires on Dec. 31, would be seeking a second five-year term beginning in January 2022.

    Article 97 of the UN Charter empowers the General Assembly to appoint the Secretary-General on the recommendation of the Security Council.

    This means that any of the five permanent members of the council, who will make their choice known in coming months, can veto Guterres’ nomination.

    The selection process of the next Secretary-General officially began on Feb. 6 with a joint letter by the General Assembly and Security Council presidents asking member states to nominate candidates.

    As of the time of filing this report on Wednesday evening, only Guterres was known to have been nominated for the post.

    In January, Honduras’ permanent representative to the UN, Amb. Mary Flake, also sent a letter to all member states asking them to present female candidates.

    Flake said there had never been a female secretary-general, adding that she is “wring from a place of conviction, where standing for equal rights makes a difference in creating a fair and equitable organisation”.

    Guterres’ election in 2016 came as a disappointment to women, who had hoped to break the male dominance of the post.

    Thirteen candidates, comprising seven women and six men, contested for the post then.

  • Guterres decries racism in UN

    Guterres decries racism in UN

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres has decried the existence of racism in the organisation.

    He indicated that the situation was ironic and worrisome, considering the fact that the organisation’s principles forbid all forms of discrimination.

    Guterres spoke at the launch of “Awareness and Action”, a campaign initiated by the world body to address racism in its fold.

    “Racism challenges every government, every society, and every organisation including our own.

    “It’s true that we have clear rules in place that prohibit and protect staff from all forms of discrimination, including racism.

    “But let’s be honest: sometimes we have been slow to acknowledge the existence of racism inside the UN.
    “Let me be very clear: racism has no place in the United Nations,” Guterres told members of staff at the virtual event which originated from New York.

    The UN chief noted that the organisation was founded on the principles of dignity and worth of the human person, “without distinctions of race, colour, ethnic or national origin”.

    To this end, he said, the UN support member states in developing legal tools and building capacity to address racism in all its ramifications.

    This, he noted, created a special responsibility for those working for the global body to examine and address the menace in the system.

    “We must examine our efforts and ask ourselves if we are doing enough to combat racism and racial discrimination inside our organisation.

    “The exercise we are launching today is aimed at making sure that everyone who contributes to the work of the UN feels respected and valued as an individual, and as a member of our UN family.

    “We need to do better at listening to one another and acknowledging disappointment, anger and pain.

    “The primary objective of the campaign is to create safe spaces for UN personnel to share their experiences and perspectives in a respectful and supportive environment.

    “The campaign aims to raise awareness of the various ways in which racism manifests itself in our workplace.

    “It also seeks to encourage all colleagues to speak up and take action against racism and discrimination in all its forms,” Guterres said.

    He explained that the campaign would feature a series of dialogues to be led by different UN duty stations around the world.

    Guterres said leaders and experts from the UN system, civil society and the private sector would participate in the discussions.

    According to him, the exercise will consider the different facets of racism, and how the organisation can strengthen its culture to better prevent and respond to menace.

  • UN already lost 72 workers in 2019 – Guterres

    The United Nations has lost 72 personnel so far this year, its Secretary General, Antonio Guterres said in New York on Friday.

    Guterres said this at a wreath laying ceremony and memorial service to mark the opening of the UN Staff Day celebrations at the organisation’s headquarters.

    The ceremony was held in honor of civilian staff members, police and military personnel who have fallen in service to the UN across the world.

    The UN Chief gave breakdown of the death figure as 25 civilian staff members, 43 peacekeepers and four UN police officers.

    According to Guterres, the UN staff work in the most dangerous and challenging environment around the world, and it was the duty of all to remember and commemorate the fallen colleagues.

    He expressed his sympathy to their families, friends and loved ones “who feel their loss so keenly”.

    Guterres said: “Let us remember the sacrifice made by our fallen colleagues in working to make the world safer and more dignified for those less fortunate than themselves.

    “UN staff are working on the frontlines of the most pressing challenges, addressing key humanitarian needs, keeping the peace, defending human rights, feeding the hungry and helping to build resilience to climate change.”

    Earlier in her remarks, President of the UN Staff Union, Ms Patricia Nemeth, saluted the commitment, dedication and sacrifice of the organisation’s personnel.

    Nemeth said the world had witnessed the “remarkable reach of our civilian, police and military colleagues deployed under the UN flag”.

    “They have delivered time after time in unprecedented circumstances by demonstrating valour in times of crisis.

    “Our civilian, police and military personnel, and their families, deserve everlasting gratitude and support from the UN family,” she said.

  • UN chief says world still on red alert, but…

    UN chief says world still on red alert, but…

    United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has restated the red alert he issued on Jan. 1, 2018 over a range of dangers confronting the world, which “still persist” as 2019 looms.

    The UN chief said in his message for the New Year that “these are anxious times for many, and our world is undergoing a stress test”.

    He reiterated one of his calls during 2018 over climate change, saying it was still “running faster than we are,” and that deepening geo-political divisions are making conflicts more difficult to resolve”.

    He said record numbers of people were moving in search of safety and protection, inequality is growing and “people are questioning a world in which a handful of people hold the same wealth as half of humanity”.

    Moreover, he said that intolerance was on the rise while trust was also declining.

    “But there are also reasons for hope, notably in Yemen where breakthrough talks have created an opportunity at least, for peace,” the Secretary-General said.

    Guterres also cited the September agreement signed in Riyadh between Ethiopia and Eritrea, which eased long-running tensions and brought improved prospects to an entire region as cause for optimism.

    Likewise, he pointed to the agreement between warring parties in South Sudan which had revitalised chances for peace, “bringing more progress in the past four months than in the previous four years”.

    The UN was also able to bring countries together in Katowice, Poland, to agree on a programme to implement the Paris Agreement on climate change.

    “Now we need to increase ambition to beat this existential threat, it’s time to seize our last best chance to stop uncontrolled and spiraling climate change,” Guterres said.

    The UN chief said in recent weeks, the UN also oversaw landmark global agreements on migration and refugees, “that will help to save lives and overcome damaging myths”.

    And people everywhere are mobilising behind the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which he called “our global blueprint for peace, justice and prosperity on a healthy planet.”

    “When international cooperation works, the world wins,” the UN chief stressed.

    He maintained that in 2019, the UN “will continue to bring people together to build bridges and create space for solutions,” keeping up the pressure for change.

    “As we begin this New Year, let’s resolve to confront threats, defend human dignity and build a better future – together,” Guterres said, wishing the world a peaceful, prosperous and healthy 2019.

     

  • $1trn paid in bribes, $2.6trn stolen annually

    The UN says one trillion dollars are paid in bribes annually, while another 2.6 trillion are stolen, all due to corruption.

    The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, while counting the costs of corruption, said values and economic development were under assault, as trillions of dollars were lost.

    He said every year, trillions of dollars – equivalent to more than five per cent of global Gross Domestic Product – are paid in bribes or stolen through corruption.

    Guterres deemed corruption “an assault on the values of the United Nations,” highlighting the pervasive crime.

    He said corruption “robs societies of schools, hospitals and other vital services, drives away foreign investment and strips nations of their natural resources”.

    The United Nations is fighting the global scourge, which affects both rich and poor countries, through initiatives like the global campaign launched jointly by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

    The campaign recognised corruption as one of the biggest impediments to achieving the SDGs, or 2030 Sustainable Development Goals agreed by all nations of the world in 2015, to advance the whole of humankind.

    UN said government officials, civil society, the private sector, and anti-corruption advocates could reference the 2018 anti-corruption campaign’s ‘Call to Action Matrix’, which offers recommendations for strategies to stand against corruption.

    Additionally, the United Nations Convention against Corruption, adopted in 2003, exists as the only legally-binding, universal anti-corruption instrument.

    The Convention’s far-reaching approach covers the full spectrum of corruption, and 186 Member States are parties to the Convention.

    Guterres called the Convention a “primary tool” for advancing the fight, and highlighted the positive outcomes made possible through its implementation.

    “Through the Convention’s peer review mechanism, we can work together to build a foundation of trust and accountability,” the UN chief said.

     

  • Guterres calls for archival searches in ex-UN chief’s death inquiry

    Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on nations to scour their archives for possible evidence regarding the death of former UN Chief, Dag Hammarskjold in 1961.

    A spokesman for Guterres, Farhan Haq, said: “the secretary-general calls on member states that may hold information relevant to the Hammarskjold investigation to appoint an independent and high-ranking official to conduct a dedicated internal review of their intelligence, security and defence archives to determine whether relevant information exists.”

    Hammarskjold, the second secretary-general of the UN, was on his way to a cease-fire in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

    Along with 15 other individuals, Hammarskjold was carried by the 6C-6 aircraft when suddenly the aircraft crashed in September 1961 in Central Africa.

    It was first called an accident.

    However, information since released showed there was another plane in the region at the time, indicating the
    possibility of an aerial attack or other interference as a possible cause of the crash.

    Mohamed Othman, former chief justice of Tanzania, was reappointed by Gurerres to lead the inquiry, which followed a 72nd General Assembly resolution.

    Othman’s report to the General Assembly in September concluded that “it remained plausible that an external attack
    or threat may have been a cause of the crash,” Haq said.

    “The secretary-general … firmly believes that he owes it to his illustrious and distinguished predecessor, Hammarskjold, and to the other members of the party accompanying him and to their families, to pursue the full truth of this matter,” Haq said.

    Britain was known to have monitored communications at the time along with Rhodesian authorities, and the U. S.
    was believed to have electronic surveillance in the region, according to Othman’s previous report.

    Therefore, this would indicate either London or Washington, or possibly both, might have evidence to the cause
    of the crash nearly 57 years ago.

     

  • UN outraged by Dapchi schoolgirls abduction – Guterres

    UN outraged by Dapchi schoolgirls abduction – Guterres

    The UN has expressed outrage at the abduction of 110 schoolgirls of Government Girls Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe, by suspected Boko Haram terrorists.

    The Secretary-General, Mr Antonio Guterres, said in a statement by his Spokesperson, Mr Stephane Dujarric that he “strongly condemns the abduction and attack”.

    Guterres said he was gravely concerned over the situation of the schoolgirls’ abducted during an attack on their educational institution in Dapch, Yobe state, on Feb. 19.

    The Secretary-General called for the immediate and unconditional release of all missing girls and for their safe return to their families.

    The UN chief urged the Nigerian authorities to swiftly bring those responsible for this dastardly act to justice.

    Guterres reiterated the solidarity and support of the UN to Nigerian Government and other affected countries in the region in their fight against terrorism and violent extremism.

    The UN had earlier described the abduction as “another horrific incident where young women and girls are targeted by terror groups”.

    “And we very much hope that the perpetrators will be brought to justice, and just as importantly, that the girls will be found and returned to safety.

    “I think the fact that these young women were abducted in an educational setting, where they should have been safe, where they should feel safe, just adds to the horror of the story.”

     

  • UN chief strongly condemns London terrorist attacks

    UN chief strongly condemns London terrorist attacks

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres strongly condemned Saturday night’s terrorist attacks in London and expressed solidarity with the people and Government of the United Kingdom in the combat against terrorism and violent extremism.

    “The Secretary-General expresses his solidarity with the people and the Government of the United Kingdom as they fight terrorism and violent extremism,” a statement issued by a UN spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, said on Sunday.

    Guterres denounced the deadly incidents as “unjustifiable violence” and also expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and wished the injured a swift recovery.

    This is a struggle in many parts of the globe that compels the international community to join up efforts to bring to justice those who use such inhuman tactics.

    “It is also a struggle for protecting and promoting the fundamental values, rights and principles that terrorists so fervently seek to undermine,” Guterres said.

    Authorities said seven people were killed and dozens more injured when a van sped across London Bridge on Saturday and rammed into numerous pedestrians.

    After the van came to a halt, the attackers reportedly stabbed several people in the capital’s Borough Market, a crowded weekend gathering spot.

    The three assailants were reportedly shot by the police.

    This is the third deadly incident in the UK that authorities have attributed to terrorists.

    The latest terror attacks followed a deadly attack near the Houses of Parliament in March, and nearly two weeks after a suicide bombing outside an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester.

    “This is a struggle in many parts of the globe that compels the international community to join up efforts to bring to justice those who use such inhuman tactics.

    “It is also a struggle for protecting and promoting the fundamental values, rights and principles that terrorists so fervently seek to undermine,” Guterres said.

     

  • UN Chief warns of re-surging xenophobia as he commemorates Holocaust

    The world is faced with a troubling rise of intolerance against minorities and foreigners, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned on Friday in a message to commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day.

    “It would be a dangerous error to think of the Holocaust as simply the result of the insanity of a group of criminal Nazis,’’ he said.

    Instead, it was the end point of long-lasting scapegoating and discrimination against Jews, he said, adding that anti-Semitism continues to thrive.

    “We are also seeing a deeply troubling rise in extremism, xenophobia, racism and anti-Muslim hatred. Irrationality and intolerance are back,’’ Guterres said.

    The world must never react to suffering with indifference, and it must bring human rights violators to justice, he added.

  • António Guterres appoints Mamabolo Joint Special Representative for Darfur

    ImageFile: António Guterres appoints Mamabolo Joint Special Representative for Darfur
    António Guterres, UNSG.

    United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, today announced the appointment of South African Jeremiah Nyamane Kingsley Mamabolo as acting Joint Special Representative for Darfur (JSRD) after firing Martin Ihoeghian Uhomoibhi, a Nigerian occupying the position formerly.

    Uhomoibhi was appointed Joint Special Representative for Darfur and Head of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) in October 2015 until he was relieved of his duties for Mamabolo to take over.

    Mamabolo was commissioned to head the UNAMID as well by the African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.

    Both the UNSG and the AU Chief expressed gratefulness to Uhomoibhi for his service during his tenure.

    The incoming JSRD and UNAMID head brings to the position first-hand experience in dealing with the situation in Darfur, as well as expertise from his distinguished career in the diplomatic service. Since 2016, he has been serving UNAMID as Deputy Joint Special Representative for Pillar I, overseeing political, human rights, and legal aspects of the Mission’s activities.

    From 2013 to 2016, he served as Permanent Representative of South Africa to the United Nations, during which he also acted as Chair of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China. In 2009, Mamabolo was appointed High Commissioner of South Africa to Nigeria.

    Previously, Mamabolo facilitated peace processes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi as his country’s Special Envoy to the Great Lakes region (2006-2009). He also served as Deputy Director-General for African Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2002-2006).

    Mamabolo held other senior positions, such as the Permanent Representative to the AU, accredited also to Ethiopia, Sudan and Djibouti (1999-2002). During that time, he led efforts to promote dialogue in post-war Sierra Leone in his capacity as Special Envoy of the AU to Sierra Leone and the Mano River Basin (2001-2002). He also served as High Commissioner to Zimbabwe (1995-1999).

    Mamabolo holds a Master’s degree in public administration from the University of Pretoria, South Africa, and a diploma in journalism from Harare Polytechnic College, Zimbabwe.

    Born in 1955, he is married and has four children.