27 May 2021:
India has conveyed its support to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres for his candidature as chief of the world body for a second five-year term beginning January 2022. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Guterres here Tuesday on and had a “warm and comprehensive meeting during which he discussed several critical issues including the COVID challenge, importance of ramping up vaccine supply chains, climate action, regional challenges and India’s priorities during its upcoming Presidency of the Security Council in August.
“India values UNSG’s leadership of the UN, especially in these challenging times. Conveyed our support for his candidature for a second term,” Jaishankar said in a tweet after the meeting. Later, a press release issued by the Permanent Mission of the India to the UN also stated that Jaishankar “conveyed that India values Secretary General’s leadership of the United Nations, especially in these challenging times. He conveyed India’s support for his candidature for re-election for a second term.” This is the first time that Jaishankar has publicly stated India’s support for a second term for Guterres. Guterres, the ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations, took oath of office on January 1, 2017 and his first term ends on December 31 this year. The term of the next Secretary General will begin on January 1, 2022.
