Socialist who opposed abortion named UN secretary-general
October 07, 2016
A former Portuguese minister who opposed abortion and the legalization of same-sex marriage during his tenure in office has been named the ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations.
António Guterres, a Catholic layman and a Socialist, will succeed Ban Ki-moon on January 1.
Guterres served as prime minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002, president of Socialist International from 1999 to 2005, and head of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees from 2005 to 2015.
Guterres’s nomination was opposed by some homosexual activists, who denounced him as “homophobic.” However, in a 2015 statement, Guterres called for “a world where no one has to be afraid because of their sexual orientation and gender identity.”
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Further information:
- Antonio Guterres, tireless refugee champion (AFP)
- UN’s new Catholic boss opposed to abortion and marriage equality (New Daily)
- The Portuguese Homophobic, Anti-Women’s Rights Candidate Antonio Guterres cannot be Secretary General of the UN (BlogActiv)
- Statement by António Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT), 17 May 2015 (UN)
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