In 1st reaction to US election, UN leadership congratulates Biden, Harris on victory

Top UN leadership on Monday congratulated US President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on their election victory, with Secretary General Antonio Guterres reaffirming that the US-UN partnership is an essential pillar of the international cooperation needed to address the dramatic challenges confronting the world. However, the UN chief's statement did not mention Biden and Harris by name, using the terms President-elect and Vice President-elect.

"The Secretary-General congratulates the American people for a vibrant exercise of democracy in their country's elections last week. He congratulates the President-elect and Vice President-elect and reaffirms that the partnership between the United States and the United Nations is an essential pillar of the international cooperation needed to address the dramatic challenges facing the world today," according to a statement issued by UN spokesperson. In a tweet, President of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly Volkan Bozkir extended "warmest congratulations" to Biden and Harris.

He said Biden has a "long history of supporting" the UN and Harris' historic election as America's first woman vice-president "is a milestone for gender equality. I look forward to deepening UN-US ties & working together towards a safer & more prosperous world," Bozkir said in the tweet. These are the first reactions from the United Nations to the election victory of the next leaders of the organisation's host country, coming two days after Biden and Harris were declared winners of a bitterly-fought presidential election, which President Donald Trump has still not conceded despite failing to get 270 Electoral College votes required to win his re-election.

Trump secured 214 Electoral College votes while Biden won with 279 votes.