Former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres was sworn in Monday as the ninth secretary general of the United Nations.
The former UN refugee chief will take over duties from Ban Ki-moon on January 1.
Guterres laid out three priorities for change during his five-year term: work for peace, support sustainable development and improve internal UN management.
After being sworn in by General Assembly President John William Ashe, Guterres addressed the 193 member nations, saying the world body must work to simplify, decentralise and make more flexible its sprawling bureaucracy, AP reported.
“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,” said Guterres.
“United Nations must recognize its shortcomings and reform the way it works,” he added.
Top leaders and dignitaries of United Nations including Myanmar’s Aung Saan Suu Kyi attended the swearing-in ceremony.
Antonio Guterres served as prime minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002. He was the UN High Commissioner for Refugees from June 2005 to December 2015.
