António Guterres has served as the ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations since 1 January 2017. Guided by the principles of the UN Charter, he has prioritized dignity, peace, and sustainability during a time of global crisis. His leadership has addressed major challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and gender inequality.
Before becoming Secretary-General, Guterres was the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (2005–2015), leading the agency through some of the most severe displacement crises in recent history, including those in Syria, Iraq, and South Sudan. Under his leadership, the number of displaced persons worldwide rose from 38 million to over 60 million.
Earlier, Guterres served as Prime Minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002 and held leadership roles within the Socialist International, where he was President from 1999 to 2005. A longstanding advocate for social justice, he founded the Portuguese Refugee Council and the Portuguese Consumers Association.
Born in Lisbon in 1949, Guterres holds an engineering degree from Instituto Superior Técnico. He is fluent in Portuguese, English, French, and Spanish. He is married to Catarina de Almeida Vaz Pinto and has two children, a stepson, and three grandchildren. Guterres is also a member of the Club of Madrid.
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