UNSC recommends Guterres for second term as UN chief

United Nations: The UN Security Council on Tuesday recommended Antonio Guterres for a second term as the Secretary-General, ensuring his re-election which is most likely on June 18.

"He has proven worthy of the post," said Council President Sven Jurgenson said while announcing the decision after a brief closed-door meeting of the UN body which effectively has the final say on the appointment.

The recommendation for another five-year term will now go to the 193-member General Assembly for a formal vote.

India, which is a non-permanent member of the Security Council also supports Guterres's re-election.

After a meeting with Guterres last month, India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar tweeted that New Delhi "values" his leadership and would back his re-election.

India's Permanent Representative T. S. Tirumurti also tweeted that "India welcomes" the Security Council resolution recommending a second term for Guterres.

The re-election of Guterres is seen only as a formality as he hasn't antagonised anyone in the security council and was able to navigate the shoals of UN polarisation that has sharpened during his term, managing even the reflexive opposition of then US President Donald Trump to the UN and China's aggressive diplomacy.

Jurgenson, who is from Estonia, described Guterres as a "bridge-builder".

"He's able to speak to everybody, and I think this is something that is expected from the secretary-general," he said.

Guterres's leadership of the world body during the Covid-19 crisis was well appreciated. Pleading for equitable distribution of vaccines and other resources, and promoting an agenda for post-pandemic rebuilding while fighting disinformation Guterres tried to do justice to his position.

Guterres, a former Prime Minister of Portugal and a UN High Commissioner for Refugees was elected to the assembly to succeed Ban ki-moon in 2016.

He received the essential approval of the Security Council after six straw polls in which he outlasted 12 candidates, seven of them women.