The 22 April 2018, António Guterres was chosen by the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation and Uppsala University to deliver the 2018 Dag Hammarskjöld Lecture for his long-standing commitment to the United Nations and its values. The lecture was held in Uppsala Castle and titled ‘Twenty-first century challenges and the enduring wisdom of Dag Hammarskjöld’.
About the Lecturer
António Guterres and Peter Wallensteen taking questions from students at Uppsala university.
António Guterres is a Portuguese politician and diplomat who in 2017 was appointed as the ninth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations. Prior to his appointment as Secretary-General, Mr Guterres served as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees from June 2005 to December 2015, heading one of the world’s foremost humanitarian organisations during some of the most serious displacement crises in decades. He served as Prime Minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002, during which time he was heavily involved in the international effort to resolve the crisis in East Timor.
Mr Guterres was born in Lisbon in 1949 and graduated from the Instituto Superior Técnico with a degree in engineering.
About the lecture
‘Dag Hammarskjöld is my reference and my inspiration in the work I try to do as UN Secretary-General’, said Mr Guterres , speaking from the podium in Uppsala Castle, Hammarskjöld’s childhood home. He went on to explain that Hammarskjöld, who sacrificed his life in the line of duty, should be viewed as the central reference point for the United Nations ideal.
The Secretary-General outlined in his speech some of the fundamental problems facing society today, including instability in the Middle East, disregard for the refugee protection regime and threats from cyberwar, nuclear proliferation and climate change. He noted that one of our greatest trials is to build trust in the idea that there are solutions to the world’s current problems.
Watch the livestream from the event below.