Statement from President Obama
On
behalf of the United States of America, I congratulate António Guterres
on his election today as the next Secretary-General of the United
Nations. As a founding member
and host country of the United Nations, and a permanent member of the
U.N. Security Council, the United States pledges to provide our full
support to Mr. Guterres when he assumes leadership of the United Nations
on January 1, 2017.
Since
its inception, the United Nations has played a central role in
resolving armed conflicts, preserving stability, lifting billions out of
poverty, delivering life-saving
humanitarian assistance, and promoting the fullest enjoyment of human
rights worldwide. With tens of millions displaced, U.N. peacekeepers
deployed at record levels, climate change already impacting countries
worldwide, and extremists targeting innocent civilians,
the international community has never relied more on the United Nations
than it does today. We have every confidence that, as a former Prime
Minister of Portugal and U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Mr.
Guterres has the character, vision, and skills needed
to lead the United Nations at this critical moment and to reform its
organizations and operations to better meet these unprecedented
challenges.
As
the United States welcomes Mr. Guterres to his new role, I also want to
take this opportunity again to pay tribute to Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon for his decade of service
to the U.N. Secretary-General Ban has galvanized the international
community behind efforts to address climate change, pushed the United
Nations to prevent and resolve deadly conflicts, and advocated for
universal values and human rights. He has been a valued
partner for the United States and we thank him for his leadership.
Source: The White House, Office of the Press Secretary
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