Thursday 13 October, former chief of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), António Guterres, was elected UN Secretary General by the UN General Assembly. Guterres was nominated to the position by a unison Security Council last week.The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) congratulates Guterres and urges him to continue his tireless work for refugees’ rights.
“A true humanitarian champion and defender of refugees is new UN SG! Congratulations António Guterres! Good luck in a world of crises,” said Jan Egeland, in a tweet.
Guterres is not taking on an easy task. In a time where more than 65 million people are displaced worldwide and conflicts cause tremendous suffering, the world needs a strong UN leader. He is mandated to seek political solutions, while at the same time provide lifesaving assistance to crises and conflicts worldwide.
Facing enormous challenges
The UN was created in 1945 with the aim to prevent new wars and solve the enormous challenges facing millions of displaced people. In recent decades, the number of wars between countries has decreased, while the number of internal conflicts is increasing, and the number of displaced people has reached its highest level since the aftermath of Second World War.
“Civilians are routinely attacked in too many brutal armed conflicts, which, along with climate change, force millions of people to leave their homes every year. This extremely challenging situation places great demands on the UN, and Guterres' success will in the end depend on the willingness of world leaders to accept his leadership and pull in the same direction,” said Jan Egeland.
This extremely challenging situation places great demands on the UN, and Guterres' success will in the end depend on the willingness of world leaders to accept his leadership and pull in the same direction.Jan Egeland, NRCs Secretary General
