USA: U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon vows to help end the crisis in Darfur and promote trust among member states

In his first public address as newly appointed U.N. Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon said on Wednesday (January 10) he will work to reform the world body, while at the same time promising to find a solution to the Darfur crisis and establishing greater trust among member states. The new United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, made his first public address on Wednesday (January 10) to the members and guests of the Association for a Better New York City. At the breakfast meeting, Ban vowed to pull the U.N. into the 21st century: working on management reform, solving world crises like Darfur, and promoting trust among the world body's member states. Ban said that one of this highest agendas is to restore the world's trust in the U.N., an institution tainted by scandal and a growing divide between rich and poor nations. He said, "In today's globalized world, the United Nations has a vital role to play. That means bringing not just its headquarters into the 21st century, but upgrading its management practices and its cultures as well. One of my top priorities is to bring increased transparency, accountability, efficiency, and mobility to the organization." The crisis in Darfur is one of the most pressing issues facing Ban, who said he will help to bring an end to the four-year-old conflict which has killed an estimated 200,000 and driven 2.5 million from their homes. "I myself intend to participate as my first trip overseas the African Union summit meeting which will be held later part of this month in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. There, I hope I will be able to have diplomatic activities and negotiations with President Bashir of Sudan and other leading players of the African Union. I'm formally committed to resolve this issue as soon as possible to prevent further sufferings of innocent people in the Darfur area," said Ban. Although the Secretary-General would not name specific countries, he commented on the need for greater trust between the U.N.'s member states, in what was assumed to be a reference to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's verbal attacks on Israel, calling for the Jewish state to be "wiped off the map." "I was very much troubled when a certain country would not recognize the existence a certain member state of the United Nations. This is not acceptable. We are all same members of the United Nations, human beings, we should have mutual respect, mutual understandings based on mutual trust. We need to have deeper appreciation and understandings on other's cultures and faith. This is what I am going to be determined to promote as Secretary-General as I conduct my duties in the United Nations," said Ban. A former South Korean Foreign Minister, Ban took office on January 1, 2007, becoming the eighth U.N. Secretary General. Despite his short time in office, Ban has proven to have a solid sense of humor in addition to his diplomatic skills. At Wednesday's meeting, he told New Yorkers he would try to find a way to end the traffic congestion the U.N.'s meetings often create on Manhattan's east side. "Maybe I can help to reduce the traffic jams, particularly during General Assembly sessions, to advise the visiting heads of states of governments to take subways as Mayor Bloomberg does every morning," joked Ban. Ban is expected to lead a U.N. more aware of its limitations and the small space in which any Secretary-General has to maneuver. He has stressed in several speeches that the U.N. must reform itself and strengthen its capacity to deal with the unprecedented threats to peace and security.

ITN Source | January 11, 2007

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