Antonio Guterres to hunt second five-year time period as UN Secretary-General

Image Source : AP UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses the media throughout a joint press convention with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas after a gathering in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, Dec. 17, 2020.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has mentioned that he will probably be looking for a second five-year time period as chief of the world organisation. President of the General Assembly, Volkan Bozkir, had enquired final Friday about Guterres’ intentions relating to a second mandate. “The Secretary-General conveyed to him today that he is available to serve a second term as Secretary-General of the United Nations if that would be the will of the member states,” UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric mentioned on the every day press briefing on Monday.
Dujarric mentioned the Secretary-General additionally addressed a letter of comparable content material to the President of the Security Council.
In accordance with Article 97 of the UN Charter, the appointment of the Secretary-General is made by the General Assembly, on the advice of the Security Council, which in impact signifies that any of the 5 everlasting members can veto the nominee. Each Secretary-General has the choice of a second time period if they will garner sufficient help from member states.
The time period of the subsequent Secretary-General will start on January 1, 2022.
Guterres assumed workplace on January 1, 2017, after a reformed choice course of that included a public casual dialogue session within the General Assembly, involving civil society representatives, the place every of the 13 candidates offered imaginative and prescient statements and took questions.
Dujarric mentioned the UN chief had knowledgeable the Security Council, and the heads of regional teams of his choice, and that it was too early to gauge any response from member states at this stage or speculate about some other potential candidates.
“The Secretary-General will be in the hands of member states on the process, and the Secretary-General will, of course, fully meet any expectations expressed by the General Assembly on submission of a vision statement, opening himself to question sessions, but he is a candidate. Those who organise the process, the member states will have to talk to you about the next steps,” he mentioned.
When requested if Guterres’ announcement to hunt a second time period trusted the US election, Dujarric mentioned the Secretary-General wished to be as clear as potential.
“I don’t think any particular election cycle in any particular country impacted his decision,” he added.

Dujarric mentioned Guterres spoke to the President of the General Assembly first after which knowledgeable the 5 everlasting members of the Council in addition to heads of varied regional teams, political teams over the weekend “to make sure everybody had the same information”.
Brenden Varma, the spokesperson for President of the General Assembly, confirmed that the presidents of the Assembly and the Security Council can be discussing the Secretary-General choice course of, at a daily assembly on Tuesday.
The subsequent transfer to formally kickstart the method will probably be a joint letter from the 2 presidents despatched to member states.
In response to questions, Varma famous that underneath the brand new “inclusive and transparent” choice course of begun in 2016, “this is the first time that we have actually seen an incumbent” put themselves ahead for re-election, and extra particulars can be forthcoming later within the week.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) mentioned whoever assumes the function of the UN chief, after Guterres’ first time period ends on December 31 this 12 months, ought to absolutely decide to enhancing the world physique’s efficiency on upholding human rights and that it is essential that the choice course of is aggressive and clear.
The human rights organisation mentioned Guterres “should not be handed a new term on a silver platter. The process should include multiple candidates who all publicly present concrete plans to improve the UN, including how to reinforce its human rights pillar at a time when some governments are actively working to undermine it”.
HRW mentioned in an announcement that Guterres’ efficiency on human rights over the previous 4 years has been blended, largely characterised by an unwillingness to publicly criticise rights-abusing governments by identify and a desire for closed-door diplomacy.
It mentioned HRW and different organisations have referred to as on Guterres to publicly urge the Chinese authorities to launch over one million Turkic Muslims arbitrarily detained in so-called training camps and appoint an envoy to observe rights abuses in China, which he has not carried out.
“The selection of the secretary-general is largely in the hands of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, as the council nominates a leading candidate for members of the General Assembly to confirm. UN member states should be clear that they will only consider candidates who make credible commitments to resist the efforts of governments seeking to sweep human rights under the carpet,” HRW mentioned. 
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