Who is Antonio Guterres?

Antonio Guterres. Photo / AP

The United Nations' next boss is a charismatic, former socialist prime minister who led the UN's refugee agency during one of its most difficult times.

Antonio Guterres, 67, is set to succeed Ban Ki-Moon as UN Secretary-General after getting the unanimous backing of the Security Council this morning.

An academic-turned-politician, he Is known for making the radical decision as Portuguese Prime Minister to decriminalise all drugs, which has led to lower rates of addiction in the country.

In his time as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, he earned a reputation for demanding more from wealthy countries to help the vulnerable.

However, he also presided over what has been described as the worst humanitarian disaster since World War II, as refugee numbers have now swollen to 21.3 million worldwide.

As head of the UNHCR, he visited New Zealand twice, mostly recently in 2012.

After attending a ceremony in Hamilton in which Myanmar refugees were given a Maori welcome, he described it as "one of the most genuine and moving receptions" he had seen for refugees anywhere in the world.

New Zealand's Immigration Minister at the time, Jonathan Coleman, described Guterres as a "raconteur" who could have won the Secretary-General position on personality alone.

He was also a great practitioner of diplomacy, Coleman said.

"As High Commissioner for refugees, he'd be coming to NZ to ask us to increase our quota. He'd send this signal very clearly in advance, so that you know exactly what the meeting was about.

"So by the time you got to the meeting, it was something that did not need to be dealt with in a head-on way. He had already made his point, and he already knew what New Zealand's position was."

Labour MP David Shearer, who worked for the UN for 20 years, said Guterres was a "smart", "very charming" leader who was "very focused on what will make a difference".

"He came out of UNHCR after probably the toughest decade that it has seen. And he handled that well, so he has the respect of pretty much everybody."

Guterres is fluent in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish and has a keen interest in medieval history, cinema and opera.

If approved by the General Assembly, he will take over on January 1.

"Thanks! Thanks! Thanks!" he tweeted yesterday, saying he was "honoured and happy" at the UN Security Council's endorsement.

ANTONIO GUTERRES
Age: 67
Born: Lisbon, Portugal,
Political party: Socialist
Becomes UN Secretary General: January 1, 2017

Career timeline:
UN High Commissioner for Refugees
(2005-2015)
Secretary of Socialist International
(1999-2005)
Prime Minister of Portugal
(1995-2002)

- Additional reporting UK Telegraph, Associated Press