As you might be aware Mr. Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations, concludes his term at the end of this year. However, the process of electing his success will take place before the end of his term and it’s expected that the Security Council will start the « examine » the different candidates. It is a general practice that the Security Council recommends to the General Assembly the appointment of the future Secretary-General.
The government of the Republic of Korea has decided to present Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade as a candidate for the post of the next Secretary-General of the United Nations. It is the shared view of many Member States of the UN that the next Secretary-General should come from Asia as there has not been a Secretary General from Asia since Mr. U. Thant from Burma who served from 1961-1971.
Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon brings to his candidacy nearly four decades of extensive experience and untarnished reputation as a diplomat and administrator, much of it directly relation to issues of peace and security, development and human rights and democracy, these three pillars on which the United Nations stands. He has also been at the forefront of the government-driven reforms and innovations of the recent years, « It is the demand of the international community that the next Secretary-General of the United Nations be equipped with the diplomatic capability to lead the international community in effectively meeting the global challenges of the 21st century as well as the administrative skills to boldly advance the reforms of the UN system, and this is the reason why we think our candidate is the best one », officials say. The Koreans also stress their very special relationship with the United Nations. « In the process of building the 11th largest economy in the world upon ruins of war, of surmounting authoritarian rule to realize democratization, we overcame many of the challenges in nation-building, development, and peace and security that the global community is faced with in many corners of the world today. The national experience provides a unique vantage point from which to play a bridging role between developed and developing countries, between advanced democracies and new and aspiring democracies. Furthermore, the accumulated lessons from the government-driven reforms and innovations of the recent years can find ready application in the process of UN management reforms. In sum, the Republic of Koreas is appropriately placed to propose an able leader to the post of the next UN Secretary General. »
