António Guterres' Biography

António Guterres'

António Guterres is a Portuguese politician and diplomat who has been serving as the ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations since January 2017. He was born on April 30, 1949, in Lisbon, Portugal.

Guterres graduated from Instituto Superior Técnico in Lisbon with a degree in engineering in 1971, and then went on to earn a master's degree in economics from the University of Geneva in Switzerland. He worked as a professor of physics at the Universidade Nova de Lisboa and as a researcher in the field of energy and environmental policy before entering politics.

In 1974, Guterres became involved in politics after the Carnation Revolution that overthrew the dictatorship in Portugal. He joined the Socialist Party and was elected to the Portuguese parliament in 1976, where he served as a member for 17 years. Guterres was appointed Minister of Labour in 1981 and later served as Minister of Social Affairs from 1991 to 1995.

In 1995, Guterres was elected as Secretary-General of the Socialist Party, and the following year, he became Prime Minister of Portugal. He served in this role until 2002, implementing social and economic reforms that earned him widespread support both domestically and internationally.

After leaving office, Guterres worked with the United Nations as the High Commissioner for Refugees from 2005 to 2015. During this time, he led efforts to provide aid and assistance to refugees and internally displaced people around the world.

In 2016, Guterres was nominated by the United Nations Security Council to be the next Secretary-General of the United Nations. He was appointed by the General Assembly and took office on January 1, 2017, succeeding Ban Ki-moon.

As Secretary-General, Guterres has focused on a number of issues, including climate change, conflict prevention, and gender equality. He has also been vocal about the need for greater cooperation among nations and has worked to strengthen the role of the United Nations in addressing global challenges.