Women issues top Guterre’s, new UN chief, agenda

António Guterres, incoming UN secretary-general, says the appointment of women into critical position will be his top priority as the UN chief from January 1, 2017.

Guterres, said this while unveiling his 100-day agenda during a meeting with UN correspondents after his swearing-in.

He also promised to focus on gender parity.

“I think that one very important element of the agenda would be to give a clear signal that gender parity is a must and so in the appointments I will be making,” Gutterres said.

“And the first ones would be announced soon. You’ll see that gender parity will become a clear priority from top to bottom in the UN and it will have to be respected by all.”

He added that he would give priority to the plight of the refugees and migrants by reforming the UN system to ensure prompt response to conflicts.

“For the 10 years of my serving the most refugees fleeing from all conflicts around the world; it is an enormous privilege and I feel humble for this opportunity to go on serving the international community,” he said.

“I believe it is high time to reconcile the people with political leaders and international organisations, to rebuild trust in our international community.

“I feel that we need to put prevention in the centre of our work to make sure that we bring together peace and development together with human rights.

“We should make sure that the three pillars of the UN are seen as a combination, are seen in an integrated manner in everything we do.”

He added that “we need the surge in the diplomacy for peace, when we see this more complication of new conflicts and the old conflicts that seem never to die.

“At the same time, we need to make sure that we are able to reform our peace architecture from prevention to the solution of conflicts to peacekeeping to peace-building and to long-term development.

He said simultaneously, he would mobilise the entire UN system, reforming the UN development system to be able to support member states as they will do their best to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.