Who is the present Secretary General of the United Nations Organization ?

Question

UnlockIAS · Accepted Answer

Correct — B, Antonio Guteress. The booklet prints 'Guteress'; the person meant is António Guterres, the 9th Secretary-General of the United Nations, who took office on 1 January 2017 and was in office when this 2019 paper was set (he was later re-elected for a second term from 2022). A former Prime Minister of Portugal and former UN High Commissioner for Refugees, he is the 'present' Secretary-General the question asks for.

Why the other options are wrong — (a) Ban Ki-moon (South Korea) was the 8th Secretary-General, but his tenure ended on 31 December 2016 — he was Guterres's immediate predecessor, not the present holder.  (c) Kofi Annan (Ghana) was the 7th Secretary-General (1997–2006); he had long left office and in fact passed away in August 2018.  (d) Kurt Waldheim (Austria) was the 4th Secretary-General (1972–1981) and much earlier; he later became President of Austria. Not the present holder.

Concept: The UN Secretary-General is the chief administrative officer of the United Nations. Under Article 97 of the UN Charter, he is appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council, normally for a five-year term that is renewable once by convention. The office has by convention rotated among the world's regions; Guterres (Portugal) is the current, 9th, holder.

State PCS 2019 Q36 — Current Affairs & Sports PYQ with Answer

State PCS 2019 Q36 — Current Affairs & Sports PYQ with Answer