UN council backs Guterres after Israel deems him ‘persona non grata’
The United Nations Security Council offered its full support to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, after Israel said he was “persona non grata” for not quickly condemning Iran’s ballistic missile barrage, AFP reports.
Without naming Israel, the council’s five permanent members — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States — and the 10 non-permanent members “underscored the need for all member states to have a productive and effective relationship with the secretary-general.”
The Council also asked member states to “refrain from any actions that undermine his work and that of his office.” “Any decision not to engage with the UN secretary-general or the United Nations is counterproductive, especially in the context of escalating tensions in the Middle East,” it said.