Well-Skilled New UN Chief

BESIDES terrorism， the seemingly insurmountable global challenge right now is that of refugees. UN figures say almost 5 million refugees are from Syria alone， and their constant influx into Europe and the Middle East has clearly spiraled out of control. With this challenge in mind， the recent appointment of Antonio Guterres as ninth UN secretary general has particular significance.

Firstly， because his consensus-driven selection is a rare show of UN Security Council unity in modern times. Secondly， in respect of the refugee crisis， the former Portuguese prime minister was also high commissioner of the UN Refugee Agency from 2005 to 2015， making him imminently qualified to deal with this stain on humanity. Analysts are unanimous in the fact that the Syrian conflict sits at the top of Guterres list of priorities.

But from the refugee crisis， natural disasters， human rights abuse and terrorism to climate change and pandemics， all form part of the worlds daily reality and the UNs overarching mandate， making the role of the UN chief more important now than at any time in the organizations 71-year-old history.

While he has his work cut out for him outside of the UNs headquarter walls， internally Guterres selection also signals that reforms are taking place within the UN. Far from the conventional selection of past candidates in the shadows of secret meeting halls， his was done in the light - a selection based on merit. Its the first time a leader who is both a politician and diplomat has held the post.

But reform of the worlds largest international organization must extend from its head to run deeper into its make-up. In a world that has changed beyond recognition from that in which the UN was originally conceived， resolution of the decades-old debate about Security Council composition must be reached. The gross under-representation of developing economies from Africa， Asia and Latin America is unacceptable considering the vast populations and rising strength represented by these parts of the world. Guterres must address the regional balance of rotating seats on the Security Council and these voices must be allowed to take part in meaningful decision making.

Yet， no matter how skillful a diplomat Guterres is， he cannot go it alone. Now， more than ever， he is going to need the committed support of all UN member states if his vision for a surge in diplomacy for peace is realized.

“The fact that many times the UN fails is also because member states themselves are not able to come together and create conditions for the UN to be more effective，” Gutteres told CBS.

Ultimately the UN is measured by whether it helps and supports people in need. In January 2017 Gutteres needs to hit the ground running and maximize all the persuasive skills at his disposal to find a way that people can come together and restore the UNs critical role in global affairs.