The 193-member UN General Assembly elected Antonio Guterres to a second term as secretary-general on Friday.

Applause erupted in the assembly chamber in New York as the 72-year-old's reappointment was announced.  

Guterres took the oath of office and addressed member state representatives, urging them to "do everything we can to overcome current geostrategic divides and dysfunctional power relations.''

His reelection comes at a time when the world body faces a number of challenges, including numerous conflicts, the threat of climate change, and the coronavirus pandemic. 

Guterres said in his speech that the planet was on "the cusp of a new era."

"It can go either way: breakdown and perpetual crisis or breakthrough and prospect of a greener, safer and better future for all," he said. "Paradigms are shifting. Old orthodoxies are being flipped. We are writing our own history with the choices we make right now."

Portuguese diplomat backed by Security Council

Guterres, a former prime minister of Portugal and former UN refugee chief, has served as head of the UN since 2017. His next five-year term is scheduled to start on January 1, 2022.

Ahead of his confirmation, the current president of the Security Council — Estonia's Sven Jurgenson — read a resolution adopted by the council's 15 members recommending Guterres for a second term.

Under the UN Charter, the recommendation of the Security Council is a crucial step in the appointment process.

Seven other candidates had submitted applications to be considered for secretary-general, including former Ecuadorian President Rosalia Arteaga.

nm/msh (Reuters, AP, dpa)