The UN Security Council has unanimously agreed that Portugal’s former prime minister Antonio Guterres should be the next UN secretary general.
Russia’s UN ambassador Vitaly Churkin made the announcement surrounded by ambassadors from the 14 other council nations following the sixth informal poll of the 10 candidates behind closed doors.
Mr Guterres, who served as the UN’s refugee chief until last December, led all five previous polls.
Formal approval
Diplomats said in the sixth poll, where the five veto-wielding council members used different coloured ballots, he received 13 “encourage” votes, no “discourage” votes and two “no opinion”.
Mr Churkin said that the council will meet on Thursday morning to formally approve Mr Guterres and recommend his candidacy to the 193-member General Assembly, which must give final approval.
If approved, Mr Guterres will succeed Ban Ki-moon in the role.