António Guterres, the ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations, took office on 1st January 2017.
He appealed to join him committing to peace, he said: “Let us resolve to put peace first. Let us make 2017 a year in which we all – citizens, governments, leaders – strive to overcome our differences. From solidarity and compassion in our daily lives, to dialogue and respect across political divides… From ceasefires on the battlefield, to compromise at the negotiating table to reach political solutions…
Peace must be our goal and our guide. All that we strive for as a human family – dignity and hope, progress and prosperity – depends on peace. But peace depends on us. I appeal to you all to join me in committing to peace, today and every day. Let us make 2017 a year for peace”.
António Guterres served as prime minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002 and succeeds Ban Ki-moon, who served United Nations as Secretary General for 10 years.
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