SOUTH KOREAN APPOINTED NEXT SECRETARY GENERAL,
notes Melorine Mokri
The United Nations General Assembly appointed South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon as the next Secretary General, on Friday. Mr. Ban will replace Kofi Annan at the end of his second 5-year term, beginning January 1, 2007.
"I will work diligently to materialize our responsibility to protect the most vulnerable members of humanity and for the peaceful resolution of threats to international security and regional stability", Ban told the Assembly.
Ban, 62, will be the second Asian Secretary General in the U.N.’s 61-year history, the first being Burma’s U Thant who served from 1961 - 1971. Although Ban received the unanimous backing of the 15-member Security Council, his nomination initially experienced mixed responses.
While supporters praised Ban’s firm, even-handed approach at diplomacy, critics argued that the soft-spoken Foreign Minister lacks the charisma necessary for the U.N.’s top position. Additionally, U.S. support for the South Korean candidate led skeptics to question whether or not Ban would be influenced easily by Washington.
But Annan claimed that such criticism is unwarranted, and the public will soon discover “a future Secretary-General who is exceptionally attuned to the sensitivities of countries and constituencies in every continent”.
Ban has had a 30-year career in Diplomacy, with particular expertise in inter-Korean relations. AFP reports that “within 33 months in office, he is one of South Korea’s longer-serving foreign ministers.” In the past year alone, Ban has taken a large role in international negotiations on North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.
After earning a degree in international relations from the prestigious Seoul National University in 1970, Ban decided to pursue a career in Foreign Affairs, later attending Harvard University’s JFK School of Government. Since then, he has moved up the diplomatic ranks in South Korea, including a year-long stint as the Chef-de-Cabinet for the President of the 56th General Assembly at the United Nations, before obtaining his current position as Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea.
Ban mentioned the need for attention in the Middle East, Sudan and Iran, outlining three opportunities for reform at the United Nations: Security Issues, Secretariat Management and Peacekeeping. First, Ban called for an international convention in the fight against terrorism, an issue he has been vocal about since the World Trade Center attacks on September 11.
Secondly, reforming Secretariat Management “is the key to the revitalization of the organization”, said Ban. “Key reform ideas have faltered due to deep-seated mistrust between member states.”
Finally, Ban highlighted the need for more coherence and coordination in the execution of U.N. missions.
“The U.N. is simply too overstretched for the limited resources available”, said Ban in a press conference following his appointment. “I see three areas where concerted action is needed: the first is to rebuild trust among all stakeholders. The second is to stay the course with ongoing reform of the Secretariat Management. This is key to the revitalization of the Organization... The third is to enhance coherence and coordination. I do believe that there will be room for some realistic steps.”
Ban’s term begins at a critical time in U.N. History. In addition to the nuclear threats of Iran and North Korea, calls for greater transparency after the oil-for-food scandal and upcoming Security Council elections challenge the very legitimacy of the organization as a whole.
But Ban is up for the challenge.
“I am basically an optimist”, said Ban. “I try my best efforts to engage myself, whenever necessary, with all the countries concerned.”
Melorine Mokri
Please also see:
Ban Ki-moon, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade
http://www.korea.net/korea/html/C/01/cabinet_5.html
Biography of the Minister
http://www.mofat.go.kr/me/me_a001/me_b002/me_c007/me01_02_sub01.jsp
Reformatorisch Dagblad ((photo source)
http://www.refdag.nl/rubrieken/hoofdpunten.html
notes Melorine Mokri
The United Nations General Assembly appointed South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon as the next Secretary General, on Friday. Mr. Ban will replace Kofi Annan at the end of his second 5-year term, beginning January 1, 2007.
"I will work diligently to materialize our responsibility to protect the most vulnerable members of humanity and for the peaceful resolution of threats to international security and regional stability", Ban told the Assembly.
Ban, 62, will be the second Asian Secretary General in the U.N.’s 61-year history, the first being Burma’s U Thant who served from 1961 - 1971. Although Ban received the unanimous backing of the 15-member Security Council, his nomination initially experienced mixed responses.
While supporters praised Ban’s firm, even-handed approach at diplomacy, critics argued that the soft-spoken Foreign Minister lacks the charisma necessary for the U.N.’s top position. Additionally, U.S. support for the South Korean candidate led skeptics to question whether or not Ban would be influenced easily by Washington.
But Annan claimed that such criticism is unwarranted, and the public will soon discover “a future Secretary-General who is exceptionally attuned to the sensitivities of countries and constituencies in every continent”.
Ban has had a 30-year career in Diplomacy, with particular expertise in inter-Korean relations. AFP reports that “within 33 months in office, he is one of South Korea’s longer-serving foreign ministers.” In the past year alone, Ban has taken a large role in international negotiations on North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.
After earning a degree in international relations from the prestigious Seoul National University in 1970, Ban decided to pursue a career in Foreign Affairs, later attending Harvard University’s JFK School of Government. Since then, he has moved up the diplomatic ranks in South Korea, including a year-long stint as the Chef-de-Cabinet for the President of the 56th General Assembly at the United Nations, before obtaining his current position as Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea.
Ban mentioned the need for attention in the Middle East, Sudan and Iran, outlining three opportunities for reform at the United Nations: Security Issues, Secretariat Management and Peacekeeping. First, Ban called for an international convention in the fight against terrorism, an issue he has been vocal about since the World Trade Center attacks on September 11.
Secondly, reforming Secretariat Management “is the key to the revitalization of the organization”, said Ban. “Key reform ideas have faltered due to deep-seated mistrust between member states.”
Finally, Ban highlighted the need for more coherence and coordination in the execution of U.N. missions.
“The U.N. is simply too overstretched for the limited resources available”, said Ban in a press conference following his appointment. “I see three areas where concerted action is needed: the first is to rebuild trust among all stakeholders. The second is to stay the course with ongoing reform of the Secretariat Management. This is key to the revitalization of the Organization... The third is to enhance coherence and coordination. I do believe that there will be room for some realistic steps.”
Ban’s term begins at a critical time in U.N. History. In addition to the nuclear threats of Iran and North Korea, calls for greater transparency after the oil-for-food scandal and upcoming Security Council elections challenge the very legitimacy of the organization as a whole.
But Ban is up for the challenge.
“I am basically an optimist”, said Ban. “I try my best efforts to engage myself, whenever necessary, with all the countries concerned.”
Melorine Mokri
Please also see:
Ban Ki-moon, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade
http://www.korea.net/korea/html/C/01/cabinet_5.html
Biography of the Minister
http://www.mofat.go.kr/me/me_a001/me_b002/me_c007/me01_02_sub01.jsp
Reformatorisch Dagblad ((photo source)
http://www.refdag.nl/rubrieken/hoofdpunten.html