열린장관실

Council on Foreign Relations Luncheon Speech

Restoring the Vitality of the United Nations

Ban Ki-moon

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Republic of Korea

31 May 2006, New York

President Haass, members of the Council on Foreign Relations, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

It gives me great honor and pleasure to have an opportunity to address this prestigious forum.  The CFR has been host to eminent leaders and thinkers.  I am grateful to President Haass and the Council for this invitation.  And thank you, Mr. Hoge, for the kind introduction.  I look forward to a lively exchange of views following my opening comments.  

Today, I would like to talk about the United Nations.  But I’d be happy to discuss other issues during the Q&A that follows.  My choice of the topic will not surprise you.  I have presented myself as a candidate to succeed Mr. Kofi Annan as the next Secretary-General of the UN.  I will first share my thoughts on the current state and future prospects of the global organization.  Then I would value hearing your views and suggestions.  All of you are residents of this great city which is home to the UN.  I am sure you will share my conviction that our world needs a stronger, more vigorous UN.  This is all the more so for the challenging times ahead.

Less than a year ago, Heads of State and Government gathered at the UN for the World Summit.  They reaffirmed “the vital importance of an effective multilateral system.”  They also renewed their faith in the United Nations.  By doing so, our leaders emphasized the need to go beyond zero-sum solutions that divide the world into losers and winners. Instead, they called for win-win solutions to common problems and shared responsibilities.  They reminded us that multilateralism must be made to work within the halls of the United Nations.  

The leaders also made an urgent call for progress in reform.  The Organization is overstretched and fatigued.  It must find new vigor to effectively meet the growing expectations of the global era.   Indeed, the UN family has been engaged in the most comprehensive process of reform in its history.  Initiated by the Secretary-General in 2003, the reform drive has touched all aspects of the functioning of the UN system.  It is still in progress, but significant gains have already been achieved.  Good examples are the creation of the Peacebuilding Commission and the Human Rights Council. Steps are also under consideration to strengthen accountability in Secretariat management.

However, the reform process has also brought to the fore an ailment that needs to be cured if the vitality of the system is to be restored.  By this, I refer to the deep political fault lines that have hardened over the years.  This was demonstrated by the divisive vote in the 5th Committee and repeated in the GA plenary earlier this month over the Secretary-General’s proposals for management reform.

Indeed, many assert that there is a crisis of confidence enveloping the UN -- between large and small powers, rich and poor countries, between member states and the Secretariat, between governments and civil society.  Well, I would not be so pessimistic.  But I would fully join the voices calling for a greater sense of trust and common purpose.   For this, each and every player must stop blaming others and start taking responsibility.  We must all share the blame. We must all be accountable - to ourselves, to each other, and to future generations.

Beyond that appeal for greater trust and collective responsibility, I believe we should proceed along the following path.  

First and foremost, the UN family must stay the course of reform.  In particular, on management reforms, the Secretary-General is the Chief Administrative Officer of the UN.  He/she must make the most of the powers given by the Charter and Member States.  Bold leadership should be taken.  Measures must be promptly introduced for enhancing the integrity, professionalism and morale of the Secretariat. In the end, reform needs to be integrated into the daily work of management and staff, and the office of the SG..

The divisiveness over some aspects of the proposals made by the Secretary-General should not be permitted to hold back progress on others.  Indeed, tangible advances need to be made quickly wherever possible. The momentum for reform has to be sustained.  And the direction should be greater flexibility matched by greater accountability.  The Secretary-General needs greater flexibility to effectively respond to the changing circumstances.  But that must be underpinned by increased accountability.  In this regard, oversight and procurement reforms are particularly important.   An external review of the internal oversight system is currently under way.  I hope it will offer concrete ways to make oversight and audit more effective and credible.   Early action should also be taken to strengthen transparency and accountability in the procurement system.

Beyond the reforms, the coming era should be a time of consolidation and implementation for the UN.  The UN under past Secretaries-General reflected their time, as well as their personalities and preferences.  The incumbent, Mr. Kofi Annan, has assertively embodied the Organization’s ideals and values, reflecting the tenor of the post Cold War times.  Fulfilling the commitments of the World Summit last year will be a tall order in itself.  The next Secretary-General must firmly commit the Organization to delivering results in the hundreds of pressing items already on its agenda.  The strategic focus should be more on achieving goals already set, rather than identifying new frontiers to conquer.

Indeed, for each of the three pillars of the UN system - peace and security, development, and human rights - there are pressing missions to undertake.  Let me just name a few.  

First, terrorism continues to be the gravest security challenge of our times.  The possibility of linkage with WMDs amplifies the potential dangers many times.  The UN can lose no more time in presenting to the world a comprehensive convention against terrorism.  We should muster the same resolve and solidarity that enabled the General Assembly to promptly adopt the resolution condemning the terrorist attacks of September 11.  In the meantime, we must stand ready to take effective action against terrorism.   In this regard, I believe the Secretary-General’s recent report offers rich guidance.         

Second, the work of the Peacebuilding Commission must produce real value on the ground.  The first cases will be pivotal for the future shape and scope of the UN’s peacebuilding work.  All stakeholders are urged to embark upon the task with a strong sense of mission and dedication.

Third, the UN’s work in peace-keeping and complex emergencies should be more firmly grounded in humanitarian principles.  Human suffering should be alleviated and human dignity should be safeguarded at all times.  The moral authority of the UN ultimately depends on its ability to help the people most in need.  And it must do so with the highest ethical standards and professionalism.  An immediate case in point is the humanitarian crisis in Darfur.  There, the enormity of the human tragedy demands effective and expeditious UN intervention.  Before coming to New York, I went to Rwanda, the site of an atrocious genocide 12 years ago.  It was a solemn reminder of what we failed to do for Africa, for humanity.  Greater political will must be mobilized to ensure that the tragic failure to protect innocent people must not happen again.  In the years ahead, the concept of the international community’s “responsibility to protect,” as endorsed by the World Summit, must be further substantiated.

Fourth, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) must be advanced.  When the target year of 2015 arrives, the UN must be able to credibly claim mission accomplished on the most heralded goals it had promised the world.  The Korean experience shows that development goes hand in hand with security and democratization.  Political will must be mobilized to increase developmental assistance, including for capacity building for good governance.  Success in this regard will be vital for convincing the public that the UN can effectively deliver.  Tangible progress in MDG implementation will also help bridge the South/North divide.  

Fifth, the new Human Rights Council must meet the heightened expectation of the international community.  The inaugural members of the Council should work with the entire membership of the UN to chart the path ahead. They are urged to do so with a renewed commitment toward greater respect for human dignity and enlargement of freedom.               

Different times and circumstances call for different types of leadership.  At this point, the Secretariat, I believe, is in need of hands-on guidance from a Secretary-General who leads by example.  His/her presence should be felt by staff members at all levels, in the field as well as at headquarters.   The staff needs a clear sense of mission.  Reassurances should be given that their work matters and their professionalism is valued.

The next Secretary-General must be prepared at any time to act as an impartial and astute facilitator and mediator.  This role is required both in New York and around the world.  It will continue to be vital on the global stage. The expectations will continue to increase for the service of the SG’s good offices in resolving conflicts and bringing countries together.  At headquarters, the SG should strive to bridge the divides and rebuild the trust among the membership. This is critical for the success of the reform agenda and the restoration of the UN’s vitality.  There is, I believe, no magic formula to this or any other task required of the SG.   But it would begin with hard work, accessibility and open ears.  It would require humility and moral rectitude to earn the trust of all stakeholders.       

The Secretary-General’s leadership holds together the cooperation among the principal organs of the United Nations.  It is also the catalyst in rallying the political will of Member States.  In particular, the commitment of the United States is vital.  It is the host country and the most important member of the Organization.  Also, in our times, global challenges call for global responses.  The United States cannot do it alone.  The US needs the UN, and vice versa.

Looking ahead, I am an optimist. I am convinced that the best days for our global organization have yet to come. Confidence in the face of adversity comes naturally to Koreans.  Our country has quite literally risen from the ashes of war. We have done so through hard work, determination, and the help of our friends and the UN.  Now we stand ready to pay back our debt. We wish to become one of the strongest advocates of the UN’s agenda.  Be it peace, development or human rights.

The forward march of history is a process of crises being turned into opportunities, of challenges being met with insight and fortitude. The United Nations was created amid the destruction of World War II.  It was truly a wise response to unprecedented human calamity.  The footprints of the UN during the past sixty years are eminent proof.

At this time, the biggest challenge facing the UN is its own revitalization and upgrading.  The UN has to be re-energized to live up to the growing expectations of the international community.  The search for the wisest response must begin at home for each and every stakeholder.  The answer will emerge from deep reflection, on what could be lost if we were to miss this opportunity, versus what could be gained by joining together to restore the vitality of this remarkable institution in human history.  The choice should be obvious.  And the choice must be made now.

Thank you.