6 October 2016: The UN Security Council adopted by acclamation a resolution recommending to the UN General Assembly (UNGA) that António Guterres of Portugal be appointed as the next UN Secretary-General, for a term of five years. The Council’s decision was announced by Vitaly Churkin (Russia), president of the Council for the month of October, on 6 October 2016. Churkin expressed hope that the Council’s “show of unity” in recommending Guterres will be translated to the UNGA’s consideration of his nomination.
The previous day, on 5 October, the Council held the sixth in a series of informal “straw polls” to assess support for each candidate for Secretary-General. Following that meeting, all members of the Council appeared for a press stakeout during which Churkin said “you are witnessing a historic scene…. This has been a very important process of selecting the next Secretary-General.” He said the Council members have “a clear favorite, and his name is António Guterres.”
US Permanent Representative Samantha Power also spoke to the press after the final straw poll. She said the process had included “more scrutiny … of more individuals than we’ve ever had in the history of the SG race. More scrutiny in more quarters, as well – a much more transparent process, where … the General Assembly’s sessions actually translated also into results in the many straw polls that led up to today.” She highlighted Guterres’ “experience, vision, and versatility across a range of areas.” Asked how the US had “convinced Russia,” Power said “this is a day of unity,” and cited the crisis in Syria as creating urgency for unity.
By the Security Council’s recommendation adopted in the private meeting of 6 October, Guterres’ term would run for five years, from 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2021. Churkin has transferred the Council’s recommendation to UNGA President Peter Thomson, and the Assembly will consider the nomination in a plenary meeting on a date still to be determined.
Taking questions after the meeting on 6 October, Churkin said, “we have had a very fair process,” including by encouraging the presentation of women as candidates, and that 50% of the candidates were women. Regarding Kristalina Georgieva, whose candidacy was presented on 29 September 2016 by Bulgaria, he said she “chose to come in late” and “what happened, happened.” He said Russia had believed it was time for the Eastern European Group to present candidates, and would like to see a woman Secretary-General, but “we had to respect that there were other strong candidates.”
Asked to identify Guterres’ qualifications, Churkin said he served as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees for many years, during which time he traveled the world and witnessed the most serious conflicts, and that he also is a “high-level politician” who has served as the prime minister of his country. Churkin added that Guterres is outgoing, listens to everyone, and speaks his mind.
With regard to Russia’s support for Guterres’ candidacy, Churkin said Russia has long expressed its interest in being “better represented at the upper echelons” of the UN Secretariat, but that in conversations with Guterres and other candidates, “there were no under the table deals. There were no questions asked, no direct promises given.” [Security Council Announcement on Sixth Straw Poll] [Security Council Announcement on Nomination by Acclamation] [UN Press Release 6 October] [UN Press Release 5 October] [US Remarks] [IISD RS Sources]