António Guterres, the ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations, took office on January 1, 2017. He has focused on ensuring human dignity, responding to global challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and gender equality. Before this role, he was the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (2005-2015), dealing with major displacement crises. Guterres also served as Portugal’s Prime Minister (1995-2002) and held various significant roles in international organizations. He was born in Lisbon in 1949, is fluent in multiple languages, and has a background in engineering.