Former Portuguese Prime Minister António Guterres looks set to be installed as the new UN secretary general.

The 15-member Security Council cast secret ballots for each of the ten candidates.

#news #RT Security Council Backs António Guterres to Be Next U.N. Secretary General: The Security Council announced that Mr.… #photography pic.twitter.com/1DOQVIXxdP— SagittarioCase (@SagittarioCase) 5 October 2016


The voting system required the council to select from three choices encourage, discourage or no opinion.

Guterres received 13 encourage votes and two no opinion votes.

Breaking: UN Security Council united around choice for next Secretary-General—Antonio Guterres. pic.twitter.com/phMxjLb9OI— Samantha Power (@AmbassadorPower) 5 October 2016


The Russian Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin made the announcement:“Today, after our sixth straw poll, we have a clear favorite and his name is António Guterres. We have decided to go for a formal vote tomorrow morning at 10 o’clock and we hope it can be done by acclamation. This is what we are looking at.Tomorrow morning acclamation vote and we wish Mr. Guterres well in the charging of his duties as the secretary general of United Nations for the next 5 years.”

As well as serving as prime minister António Guterres is a former United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

He replaces the Korean Ban Ki-moon.