Secretary-General Antonio Guterres officially declared he is seeking a second five-year term at the helm of the United Nations.
Guterres, whose current term ends next Dec. 31, said in a letter to General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir that “It would be my honour to continue to serve the organization in pursuing its purposes and fulfilling its noble objectives”.
The former Portuguese prime minister and U.N. refugee chief was elected by the 193-member assembly to succeed Ban Ki-moon after a hotly contested and transparent race in October 2016 that initially included 13 candidates - seven women and six men. Guterres took office on Jan. 1, 2017.
“I am available to serve a second term as secretary-general of the United Nations, if that will be the will of member states”, - said Guterres in a letter to Bozkir.