Antonio Guterres sworn in as UN secretary-general

Former Portuguese PM and longtime United Nations official vows to make world body more efficient and responsive to crises

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Former Portuguese prime minister Antonio Guterres was sworn in Monday as Secretary-General of the United Nations, becoming the ninth UN chief in the body’s 71-year history.

The former UN refugee chief was elected to the top job by acclamation in the General Assembly in October. He takes over from Ban Ki-moon on January 1.

Guterres, 67, performed well in answering questions before assembly members. His executive experience as Portugal’s prime minister and as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees from 2005-2015 propelled him to first place among 13 candidates vying for the job in informal polls in the Security Council. After the sixth poll, the council nominated him by acclamation, and his name was sent to the assembly for final approval.

After being sworn in by General Assembly President Peter Thomson, Guterres addressed the 193 member nations, saying the world body must work to simplify, decentralize and make more flexible its sprawling bureaucracy.

Antonio Guterres (L) is sworn in as UN secretary general by the president of the General Assembly Peter Thomson December 12, 2016 at the United Nations in New York. (AFP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)

“It benefits no one if takes nine months to deploy a staff member to the field,” he said. “The United Nations needs to be nimble, efficient and effective. It must focus more on delivery and less on process, more on people and less on bureaucracy.”

Guterres also said he would send a clear signal that gender parity “from top to bottom” within the organization would be among his first priorities.

The swearing-in came after the 193 General Assembly members paid tribute to Ban, ending with a standing ovation for the native South Korean.

The swearing-in ceremony included the UN’s top leaders and was attended by dignitaries including Myanmar politician and Nobel peace prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power attends a UN Security Council emergency meeting on the situation in Syria, at UN Headquarters in New York, September 25, 2016. (AFP Photo/Bryan R. Smith)

US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power lauded Ban’s accomplishments while in office, and said she was confident Guterres is the right person to replace him. “He is the man for the job in such challenging times,” she said.

The selection of a new secretary-general had traditionally been decided behind closed doors by a few powerful countries. But this year, the process involved public discussions with each candidate who was campaigning for the job.

UN chiefs are charged with promoting sustainable development, working for peace around the globe, protecting human rights and dealing with humanitarian catastrophes.

Ban served two five-year terms.