Teamwork is critical to achieving UN goals

Antonio Guterres, the new United Nations Secretary-General, has called for teamwork, telling staff at the world body’s New York Headquarters that it is not enough to the "do the right thing, we need to earn the right to do the right thing."

On his first day in office, Mr. Guterres called on the entire organisation for a collective effort to address the shortcomings and underlined the need to reform the UN development system.

The new Secretary-General added, "Let us make 2017 a year in which we all, citizens, governments, leaders, strive to overcome our differences," Mr. Guterres said on Sunday morning, urging people to share his New Year's resolution: "Let us resolve to put peace first".

He will serve for a five-year period until 31st December, 2021. He was Prime Minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002, and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees from June 2005 to December 2015. He succeeds Ban Ki-moon, who served as the Secretary-General from 2007 until 31st December, 2016.