Mr.Ban Ki Moon has again been chosen as Secretary General of U.N.for another term ending December 31st 2116. No screaming Head lines across the world Newspapers, except a small column tucked somewhere in an inner page. It was rather a foregone conclusion that he would be selected by the General Assembly as the security Council had recommended his name. Since the relevance of the U.N. is diminishing gradually it made little difference who heads the institution.. Thanks to the veto-wielding nations, the Secretary General has become what generally termed as a "glorified clerk ".Ban Ki Moon, the first Asian to Head United Nations since 1971, is soft-spoken and mild-mannered .You might not remember having read a 'great statement' by him in the past. It does not mean that he is without ideas or simply remaining idle. I think he had chosen to stay in a low profile in order to work silently and effectively. Take, for example, the climate change or Global warming issue.It was his pet project. It is an important issue also. He worked hard to reach on an agreement with the nations in the Copenhagen summit. He had made elaborate homework for it. But the meeting failed as the developing and developed nations could not find areas of unity. Ban Ki Moon realized that it is difficult to reach in an agreement as things stood then and not waiting for the impossible to happen he shifted the gear to the cause of renewable energy which is another way of approaching the issue.
Any way the credit for making the climate change an important issue among the Heads of state goes to Ban Ki Moon. He also won praise for his strong backing for pro democracy uprisings and movements in North Africa and the middle east. He received 'Women's empowerment award' for championing the cause of women. He asked men to change their attitude of seeing women as 2nd class citizens.
He said that he had plans to tackle AIDS and the abject poverty in the under- developed nations.' Without the eradication of poverty you will always see conflicts' He said. But he is well aware of his limits. A Veto can shatter all his projects.
" You could say that I am a man on mission and my mission could be dubbed operation restore trust..trust in the organisation and trust between member states and the secretariat "
Ban Ki Moon speaks English, French(still a student as he said) and his native Korean. His wife, Madam Yoo(Ban)Soon Taek is devoted to works related to children's health, Autism,elimination of violence against women etc They have one son and two daughters and three grand children.
Image : Google
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