Guterres invited Merkel to work at the United Nations, but Merkel declined

The office of former German Chancellor Angela Merkel said merkel declined a job offer from U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres last week.

German News Agency quoted a statement issued by Merkel's office on the 19th to report that Merkel declined this invitation when she called Guterres last week.

Multiple U.N. sources have revealed that Guterres sent a direct invitation to Merkel to head an advisory board involving former heads of state or government. The committee, led by Guterres late last year, is primarily responsible for identifying global public goods and areas of governance involving the common interest of humanity that need to be improved and recommending improvements.

It was one of the key reform projects Guterres was undertaking during his second term as U.N. secretary-general, the sources said. However, they believe Merkel is unlikely to accept the job.

Merkel, 67, stepped down as Chancellor of Germany last December, ending a 16-year reign. The German Bundestag retains her office after her retirement. Her assistant, Bate Bowman, revealed last month that Merkel was working on a political memoir that was expected to be written in two or three years.

According to Agence France-Presse, although there is much speculation about Merkel's future after retirement, she has been silent, only suggesting that she wants to live a quiet life, read a book, and take a break.

(Xinhua News Agency)