US Secretary of State urges Antonio Guterres to expedite the appointment of a Personal Envoy

The United States Secretary of State held an online meeting, Monday, with the UN Secretary-General. The meeting was an opportunity for Antony Blinken to reassure Antonio Guterres on the firm desire of the Biden administration to strengthen relations with the international organization after the Trump term, marked by withdrawing from UNESCO, the WHO and the Human Rights Council, as well as cutting financial contributions to the UN.

A plan that Guterres said he would like to see translated into commitments by the United States in the resolution of delicate problems, citing Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, the Middle East, the Covid-19 crisis and climate change.

While Guterres avoided addressing the Western Sahara issue, Antony Blinken spoke about it. «On Western Sahara, Secretary Blinken underscored U.S. support for political negotiations and urged the Secretary-General to expedite the appointment of a Personal Envoy», reads a statement published by the US Department of State.

The appointment of a new envoy to Western Sahara has been overdue since May 2019, following the resignation of Horst Köhler.