The cast list – how to follow what is happening<br /><br /> <br /><br /> The UN Security Council – 15 member deciding body which chooses its preferred candidate in a lengthy process behind closed doors<br /><br /> The UN General Assembly – full 193-member UN body whose job it is to ratify the UNSC decision <br /><br /> Antonio Guterres – 67-year-old former Portuguese prime minister and favoured UNSC candidate for the job <br /><br /> <br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> Former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres is a step closer to being officially invested as the next Secretary General of the United Nations.<br /><br /> The UN Security Council has unanimously passed a resolution formally recommending him to the organisation’s 193-member General Assembly for election as the next leader of the world body.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /> Antonio Guterres: “I believe prevention must be not only a priority, but the priority of everything we do” https://t.co/mBmA5pS51x #NextSG pic.twitter.com/U7m2uhlk8Z— UN Peacebuilding (@UNPeacebuilding) October 6, 2016<br /> <br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> UNSC recommendation<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> Speaking before Thursday’s vote, Russia’s UN ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, said he hoped the UN Security Council would unanimously recommend Guterres.<br /><br /> If fully approved, the 67-year-old will replace the south korean Ban Ki-moon, who will step down at the end of 2016 after two terms in office.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> The process<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> The 15-member council, which has five permanent members, has been holding informal secret ballots since July in a bid to reach consensus on a candidate.<br /><br /> Members could choose between “encourage”, “discourage” or “no opinion”.<br /><br /> Guterres has come out on top of all polls.<br /><br /> In Wednesday’s poll, he received 13 “encourage” votes and two “no opinion”.<br /><br /> On Thursday, the Security Council adopted a resolution, again behind closed doors, recommending that the General Assembly appoint Guterres for a five-year term from January 1, 2017.<br /><br /> The resolution needed nine votes in favour and no vetoes to pass.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /> Breaking: UN Security Council united around choice for next Secretary-General—Antonio Guterres. pic.twitter.com/phMxjLb9OI— Samantha Power (@AmbassadorPower) October 5, 2016<br /> <br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /> NEWS; Portugal's António Guterres emerges as favourite for next UN Secretary-General.<br /><br />Next step: formal Security Council vote on Thursday. pic.twitter.com/MZ8vGvS1s5— United Nations (@UN) October 5, 2016<br /> <br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> The race to be Secretary General<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> 13 people were nominated in the race to become the next UN Secretary General.<br /><br /> However, three had already withdrawn before Wednesday’s secret ballot.<br /><br /> For the first time, the candidates were allowed to make hustings-style speeches to the General Assembly in a bid to create more transparency in the opaque selection process.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> Seven female candidates<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> The UN has had eight successive male leaders.<br /><br /> This time around, seven of the candidates for the position were women amid a push by a third of the 193 UN member states for the first female UN chief in the organisation’s 71-year history.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br />
