The UN General Assembly has appointed Antonio Guterres to a second term as Secretary-General. The new term starts in January and will last through 2026.

After the decision was announced, Guterres delivered an address urging the 193 members of the General Assembly to overcome geostrategic divides and dysfunctional power relations.

He said he will do his best to ensure trust between nations large and small, to build bridges, and to engage in confidence building.

Guterres is a former prime minister of Portugal. From 2015 to 2015, he acted as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. He succeeded Ban Ki-Moon as Secretary-General two years later.