The departure of President Donald Trump has led the UN secretary general to seek a second term in office, diplomatic sources said.
It is understood that Antonio Guterres was awaiting the outcome of the US presidential election before making his decision.
With Mr Trump creating considerable difficulties for the global body, his defeat to Joe Biden in the US presidential election has led to the 71-year-old former Portuguese prime minister seeking a second five-year term.
Mr Guterres told the Security Council and the president of the 193-member General Assembly on Monday that he seeks a second five-year term at the helm of the world body, according to a letter seen by Reuters.
His first term finishes at the end of this year.
In a letter to the Security Council and General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir, Guterres said: "It would be my honour to continue to serve the Organisation in pursuing its purposes and fulfilling its noble objectives."
"Since assuming office, I have had the privilege of working towards the reform of the United Nations to meet the aspirations of member states, striving for the dignity and the well-being of people, while ensuring the sustainability of our planet for future generations," Mr Guterres wrote.
He said he was ready to submit a vision statement for his second term to the General Assembly and take part in an informal discussion with member states. Mr Guterres was responding to a January 8 letter from Mr Bozkir that asked his intentions.
Mr Guterres managed to avoid direct confrontation with Mr Trump despite the president withdrawing from the World Health Organisation at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic and removing the US from the Paris Agreement on climate change and the Iran nuclear deal.
Despite the US having a permanent seat on the UN Security Council and considerable influence, Mr Trump chose to criticise the institution calling the Human Rights Council a “grave embarrassment”.
Mr Guterres managed to navigate the UN through these challenges without provoking the departing US president, although early in his tenure the secretary general did warn that America’s values could be replaced on the world stage when questioned about Mr Trump’s approach.
“I believe that if the United States disengages in relation of many aspects of foreign policy, it will be unavoidable that other actors will occupy that space,” he said in 2017. “And I don't think this is good for the United States and I don't think this is good for the world.”
His nimble diplomacy means he is now highly likely to be re-elected, endorsed by the five permanent members of the Security Council.
Mr Guterres took office as the ninth secretary general in January 2017 for a five-year term that finishes at the end of this year.
His request for a second stint is likely to be supported by Mr Biden who has pledged to reverse Mr Trump’s isolationist approach by returning to the WHO, repairing the Iran nuclear deal and rejoining the Paris climate accord.
Mr Guterres has made climate change a key issue, urging countries to reduce their carbon emissions. His position will be further enhanced when Mr Biden’s pick for UN ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield takes post.
Mr Biden said the experienced diplomat “recognises the extraordinary impact of climate change and the crucial role the United States plays in finding a solution to this crisis”.
With the president-elect and Mr Guterres strongly aligned over environmental issues, the US will be a firm backer for a second term that will likely be supported by the other permanent Security Council members Russia, Britain, China and France.
There has been criticism of the permanent five’s influence on selection of the secretary general and in December last year Costa Rica and Denmark, writing on behalf of 25 countries, urged the UN to ensure that the “upcoming selection process” meets the “minimum standards of transparency”.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
GOODBYE%20JULIA
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
RESULTS
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More coverage from the Future Forum
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
The years Ramadan fell in May
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest
Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.
Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.
Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.
Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.
Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.
Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2 (Benzema 13', Kroos 28')
Barcelona 1 (Mingueza 60')
Red card: Casemiro (Real Madrid)
UAE players with central contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Adnan Mufti, Mohammed Usman, Ghulam Shabbir, Ahmed Raza, Qadeer Ahmed, Amir Hayat, Mohammed Naveed and Imran Haider.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The five pillars of Islam
More on Quran memorisation:
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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