Statement by President Michael D. Higgins - Antonio Guterres
Date: Thu 6th Oct, 2016 | 16:13
6 October 2016
President Michael D. Higgins has conveyed his congratulations to Portugal’s former Prime Minister Antonio Guterres on confirmation of the UN Security Council’s recommendation to appoint him as the next UN Secretary General.
“On behalf of the people of Ireland, I wish Mr. Antonio Guterres every success in his role as the 9th Secretary General of the United Nations.
As the first UN Secretary General to have served as Prime Minister of his country, Mr. Guterres will not only bring great vision and drive to his new role, but also the experience and negotiating capacity which will be required to steer the organisation through these times of unprecedented challenges to the multilateral system.
As Prime Minister in a time of transition, Mr. Guterres displayed courage and initiative while guiding his country through a period of economic transformation. And in his previous role as the UN’s High Commissioner for refugees, he showed great leadership in dealing with one of the defining issues of our time, not hesitating to criticise the leaders of countries that did not pull their weight in the search for adequate responses to some of the world’s greatest refugee crises.
At a time that the politics of fear are taking hold in many countries, and as accountable global decision-making processes are called upon to re-assert themselves, Mr. Guterres will be a welcome advocate for global citizenship, international solidarity and a normative, rights-based, approach to international diplomacy.
I wish him every success, and the necessary support of the Heads of State and Government, in his new role.”