Outgoing UN Chief Hopes Organisation Will Lead World To Peaceful Future

NEW YORK, Sept 9 (Bernama-Sputnik/RIA Novosti) -- United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, marking the start of his final General Assembly session in office, expressed hope that the global organisation would be able to lead the world towards a healthier and more peaceful future, reported Sputnik/RIA Novosti.

“As I join the 81st UNGA session for the last time as Secretary-General, I have enormous hope for a better, healthier and more peaceful future thanks to the work that happens here,” Guterres wrote on the social media platform X.

Guterres has held the post since 2017. His second five-year term expires on Dec 31 this year.

The outgoing secretary-general called the General Assembly a “place where the world’s toughest and most consequential problems are confronted head-on,” pledging his support for the president of the new session, Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman.

The 81st session of the UN General Assembly officially opened in New York on Tuesday.

As is tradition, a high-level week will be held as part of the General Assembly, with the General Debate taking place from Sept 22 to 26 and on Sept 28.

One of the key events of the 81st session will be the completion of the process of selecting a new UN Secretary-General.

The procedure began during the 80th session, and responsibility for it now passes to the new president.

Following a recommendation from the Security Council, the General Assembly will be required to appoint the 10th UN Secretary-General.

The new session began amid continuing financial difficulties for the UN due to member states’ late payment of contributions.

-- BERNAMA-SPUTNIK/RIA NOVOSTI