The UN Security Council decided on Thursday to back Antonio Guterres, a former Portuguese prime minister and head of the UN's refugee agency for a decade, as the next secretary general.

Antonio Guterres

The 67-year-old politician, who will be the first former head of government to become UN chief, has pledged to revamp the global diplomatic body to boost its peacemaking efforts and promote human rights.

His path to the job of world's diplomat-in-chief was smoothed in a decisive Security Council vote Wednesday, during which 13 of the 15 members backed his candidacy and none of the five veto-holding powers blocked him.

The position has previously been held by several foreign ministers, most of whom were chosen during closed-door Security Council meetings.

This time around, the selection involved a new, more open process that allowed candidates to appear at hearings to make their pitch for the top job before the General Assembly.

Once the Security Council formally endorses him, Guterres will be presented to the General Assembly for approval. The new UN chief begins his five-year term on January 1.

There were 10 candidates in the race to become the next UN chief, including EU budget commissioner Kristalina Georgieva from Bulgaria, who entered the fray just last week.

Throughout the campaign, there had been calls for the council to choose the first woman secretary general and a candidate from Eastern Europe, the only region that has not been represented in the top job.

Another high-profile woman in the race, Argentina's Foreign Minister Susana Malcorra, received one negative vote from a veto-holder, while Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak received two, diplomats said.