UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the Biden administration will have a 'very active and positive engagement' a spokesperson for the UN chief said, underlining that Washington has a key leadership role to play across the international agenda, including in the Security Council.

Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General, on Wednesday said Guterres will likely speak to the new US President Joe Biden when appropriate.

"The US has a key leadership role to play across the international agenda, including in the Security Council, on matters of peace and security. We also look forward to working with the administration to advance sustainable development, human rights for all the world''s people," he told reporters in response to a question at the daily press briefing.

Dujarric said the UN has seen media reports of expected executive orders to be signed by the Biden administration on issues of climate, global health, World Health Organisation and the coronavirus pandemic.

"We welcome these reports. We welcome these developments. As soon as these executive orders are officially signed and become policy, we will, obviously, welcome them more formally,” he said.

Dujarric said there is going to be a “very active and positive engagement” between the Secretary-General and the new Biden administration.

Guterres “looks forward to working” with Biden and obviously with the Secretary of State-designate (Antony Blinken) as well as with the Permanent Representative to the UN-designate (Linda Thomas-Greenfield) once they take up office, he said.

The Secretary-General will be sending a letter to Biden "expressing that he looks forward" to working with him and with Vice President Kamala Harris, Dujarric added.