The Challenges Facing Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary General

Ban stresses ‘people power’ and partnerships at the start of second term as UN chief.

 

3 January 2012 

Ban Ki-moon has begun his second term as Secretary-General of the United Nations by pledging to harness “the strong power of partnerships” to respond to the planet’s biggest challenges: climate change, combating poverty and empowering women and girls. “Together, nothing is impossible,” he said, adding that “if we strengthen these partnerships among governments, business communities, civil organizations and philanthropists, then I think all these powerful partnerships can bring us towards the right direction.” 

We have to connect the dots among climate change, [the] food crisis, water scarcity, energy shortages and women’s empowerment and global health issues. These are all interconnected issues.

 

Mr. Ban reiterated his priorities for the second term, spelling out the five generational opportunities he sees for the UN: promoting sustainable development; preventing natural and man-made crises and disasters; making the world safer and more secure; helping countries and peoples in transition; and encouraging gender empowerment.  

 

Mr. Ban, said “people power” and deepening globalization represented the biggest development since he first took office in 2007. 

“We have seen so many people – marginalized people, oppressed people – who have been yearning for democracy, their dignity and human rights. We have [a] heavy responsibility to help them in [their] transition to democracy. 

The Secretary-General cited his meeting with a boy during a visit last year to the South Pacific island country of Kiribati – where the land is threatened by rising sea waters – as an example of the enormous faith and expectations which the peoples of the world invest in the UN.

“He appealed to me to ‘Please help us address this climate change. Our homes and our way of life may be swept away overnight’,” Mr. Ban recalled, saying it is one of the reasons why climate change must remain at the top of the global agenda.

(For the full address by the Secretary-General, see UN Press)