SECRETARY-GENERAL APPEALS TO UNITED NATIONS ASSOCIATION OF REPUBLIC OF KOREA TO DO

MORE FOR UNITED NATIONS, AS ONLY WITH STRONG SUPPORT, DEDICATION CAN IT SUCCEED

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks to the United Nations Association of the Republic of Korea, in Seoul on Thursday, 3 July:

It is a great pleasure for me and for my wife to come back to my home country in my capacity as Secretary-General of the United Nations.  It has already been one year and a half, over 18 months, into my [term of] office.  I wanted to visit Korea earlier.  But simply, the first year, all the challenges facing the United Nations and the international community just demanded me to stay and address all the challenges which we have been facing.  I am still very much grateful to all of our dear colleagues, foreign ambassadors, our dear colleagues in the foreign ministries, leaders of business communities, political communities and media, who have helped me [to get] elect[ed] as Secretary-General.  I have never forgotten that, as I have been always cherishing it in my heart.

Now, on my way to the G-8 Summit meeting, to be held in Toyako, Japan, next week, I wanted to take this opportunity to visit three [countries in] Northeast Asia.  My visit coincides with the inauguration of the new Administration and also very encouraging developments in the situation on the Korean peninsula and beyond.  It’s very encouraging for me to witness [for] myself as Secretary-General and facilitate and encourage [the] ongoing process towards the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and also encourage a more conciliatory, more cooperative relationship between South and North.  In that regard, I really commend and appreciate all the ambassadors represented here who have not spared any efforts to help Korea’s cause and peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and in Northeast Asia.

I am bringing three issues to the G-8 as well as to the Governments of Japan, China and Korea, who have been playing prominent global roles in the international community, who have been working towards meeting and addressing the global agendas which I have termed a “triple crisis”: climate change; the Millennium Development Goals -- I would term it a development emergency; and the sharply rising food prices, which has created a global food crisis.  I am going to discuss this matter -- I have already discussed it with the leaders of Japan and China -- with President Lee [Myung-bak] and the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Korea, [about] how they can, as one of the most developed countries and rapidly developing economic Powers, contribute to our common efforts in addressing those challenges.

I'm going to again raise this issue, urge the leaders of the G-8 and other countries’ leaders, that, first of all, on the food crisis, we must meet in full the immediate and urgent needs of many developing countries.  And we must meet the target of the Millennium Development Goals, set out and approved by the leaders of all Member States of the United Nations, by 2015.  We are now passing through the midpoint year.

And we must also address climate change, most importantly.  The impact has been felt all around the world.  We have witnessed and experienced unusually extreme weather patterns -- long spells of drought, heavy rains and flooding.  That is something which we should not neglect.  We must pay attention with the greatest sense of urgency.  I have been, in fact, campaigning, trying to galvanize awareness and mobilize the political will and national resources to address the climate change issue.  This has been impacting all spectrums of our life.  Therefore, I hope the Korean public and diplomatic corps have exact common sense and participate in these common efforts to address these issues.

Climate change, the global food crisis, petroleum prices -- these do not respect national frontiers.  These do not respect where you’re coming from, whether you’re from rich or small or big or poor countries.  I have always been humbled whenever I have seen, whenever I have been travelling, in some developing countries, particularly in Africa, humbled by what I have seen, humbled by how and what I need to do as Secretary-General.  I am just feeling powerless, without capacity, without resources.  And my role as Secretary-General has always been trying to mobilize resources and galvanize political will.  In addressing these three issues, I think we have the capacity.  It’s not that we do not have the resources.  We still have technology; we still have capacities to address these issues.  What is largely lacking is political will at the leaders’ level.  [With] all the political leaders, the tendency is [that] they are very much confined to their national geographical borders.  They are simply not able to go beyond their geographical borders, which is not respected by all these global issues.

Global challenges require a global response.  This is my role as Secretary-General.  I need your support, as you all represent important Member States of the United Nations.  Now, I think this group of ambassadors seems to be larger and bigger than [the groups] I used to address in informal settings like this.  Even as Secretary-General, I'm not able to mobilize all these numbers of ambassadors at one time -- except in the General Assembly or the Economic and Social Council or some other formal United Nations Mission.  In that regard, I really appreciate Ambassador Sun [Joun-yung] and his leadership in organizing this welcoming reception for me.

Now, it has been my routine work to visit and meet the members of the United Nations Associations, the UNA-USA, the UNAs wherever I go.  The United Nations Associations consists of all the leading people representing the Government, diplomatic corps, business, media and academia.  They have been working as a driving force to support the United Nations.  The United Nations has been operating with the assistance of the contributions from the Member States.  But we need more than that.  We need support from the business community.  We need support from civil communities.  Therefore, I regard this tripartite pillar [as important] for the United Nations to succeed -- even for the Government to succeed.  There should be Government leadership, business communities’ participation and active participation and advice by civil communities.  In that regard, I again appreciate your participation, your advice and your cooperation for the work of the United Nations.

I have set three priorities as Secretary-General.  In terms of global issues, I have already set out three global crises which we must [address] on a global level -- beyond the national level, even beyond the regional level. These must be met at the global level.

Then, about housekeeping matters, this is again very important.  In every organization, small or big, you have your own housekeeping matters.  The United Nations [inaudible] to change.  Over the history of 62 years, the United Nations has been playing a pivotal role, a very important role, in maintaining peace and security.  However, the United Nations also has some weaknesses and limitations because of a lack of devotion, lack of transparency or accountability.  This is what I have been doing to change the working culture of the United Nations -- to make the United Nations more trust[worthy], more efficient and effective.  That was my campaign promise, and I think I have been making some progress.  But this is not a one-day or one-year event.  This must be an ongoing reform agenda.  You have my firm and full commitment and assurance that, as Secretary-General, I will continue during my mandate to achieve this goal.

There are many other impending issues which we have to deal with.  There are many regional conflict issues, sadly, still, even after the collapse of the cold war.  We have not been able to achieve all that we have to do to bring peace and stability all throughout the world.  We have still not resolved the crisis in Darfur.   Lebanon is still suffering from instability.  In the Middle East, still, we have not seen any peace and stability, even though the Annapolis process is going on.  I can name so many places.  I have been exerting all my time and energy to help facilitate the peaceful resolution of these issues.  That, in fact, has kept me always travelling or always meeting people and always engaging in negotiations.  And I am proud that I have been doing my best.  But I am not able to claim that I have achieved.  I am still working very hard.  I am still working in close coordination with Member States to resolve all the conflict issues, to address all the global challenges and to make the United Nations reformed.  In that area, I need your strong support.  Only with strong support can I do it. [For] these global issues, regional conflict issues, we need dedicated commitment from all the Member States.  And only on that basis can a Secretary-General be a successful one.

I will continue to do my work as Secretary-General, and I count on your continued support and cooperation.  And I am very much proud to serve as Secretary-General.  But, at the same time, I have never forgotten what you have rendered me during my tenure as a minister -- in the course of [my] campaign, in the course of my job as Foreign Minister -- for what you have done for bilateral relationships, for Korea and your respective countries.

At this time today, I would like to pose some more demands.  I would like to ask you [for] more, to do more for the United Nations, more for the international community’s peace and common prosperity.  And I thank you very much for you support, and I wish you all the best.  Thank you.

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For information media • not an official record