UN approves second term for environment chief Inger Andersen

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. General Assembly has elected Inger Andersen of Denmark to a second four-year term as executive director of the United Nations Environment Program. Wednesday’s vote came after the assembly rejected a Russian-sponsored resolution that would have opened the job to other candidates. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sent a note to the 193 members of the General Assembly on Jan. 9 nominating Andersen for re-election. Russia then circulated a document that proposed opening the job to other candidates. The assembly defeated the Russian proposal by a vote of 13-77 with 62 abstentions. It then approved Andersen’s second term in a secret ballot by a vote of 136-0 with 31 abstentions.