ID :
190228
Wed, 06/22/2011 - 00:52
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/190228
The shortlink copeid
(UN reelection) Ban praised for leadership and commitment in running U.N.
NEW YORK (Yonhap) - The South Korean people's evaluation of U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon may not be objective, as he is an undisputed national hero credited with having lifted the nation's status in the international community.
How is the former South Korean foreign minister assessed by his subordinates at the United Nations?
Ranking U.N. officials generally seem to share the view that Ban is a devoted and courageous leader who is praised for resolving global problems with professional knowledge and outstanding negotiating power over the past four and a half years.
Ban successfully secured a second term as head of the United Nations on Tuesday, a clear sign that the soft-spoken bridge-builder has won the hearts and minds of officials of governments around the world as well as the U.N. body.
He is credited with demonstrating a commitment to peacekeeping efforts around the world and placing climate change at the top of the global agenda while giving the U.N. a clear voice on the Arab Spring that toppled longtime autocratic leaders.
Alain Le Roy, the U.N. under-secretary-general for Peacekeeping Operations, said Ban has assisted in maintaining peace and security in many countries and gave people "a fighting chance" in some of the world's most dangerous and inhospitable places.
Le Roy said Ban visited almost all affected mission areas, including earthquake-devastated Haiti as well as Ivory Coast and Darfur, noting his in-depth knowledge of peacekeeping and outstanding negotiation skills were particularly valuable during various crises.
"During the events in Ivory Coast, the secretary-general took extremely courageous and decisive steps to successfully halt the violence against civilians and restore the constitutional order of that country," Le Roy said in an e-mail interview with Yonhap News Agency, without elaborating.
Ban's spokesman, Martin Nesirky, expressed confidence that the U.N. chief will push ahead with such priorities as dealing with climate change, disarmament and development for the rest of his term.
Nesirky also praised Ban for his abilities to adapt swiftly, put people at ease and speak with genuine emotion during crises, noting Ban's work in places like Haiti, Pakistan and Gaza.
The spokesman also said Ban is incredibly hardworking and often held more than a dozen meetings or other engagements a day with focus throughout.
"He also has the ability to raise difficult subjects with his interlocutors while remaining composed and receptive to their views. He is compassionate, too," Nesirky said in a separate e-mail interview.
Nesirky, who first met Ban as the Seoul bureau chief for Reuters news agency, said he found Ban engaging, quick-witted and considerate.
"He also never wastes time -- I have seen him writing dozens of New Year cards during the night on a long flight back from one trip -- and he is attentive; he sent flowers to my wife and me after our daughter was born last year," Nesirky said.
The followings are the full texts of messages by Le Roy and Nesirky.
Le Roy said as follows: "I am honored and privileged to have served under the extraordinary leadership of Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon for the last three years. United Nations Peacekeeping requires dedication and courage to help the disenfranchised, poor and displaced when they are most vulnerable. Mr. Ban's personal permanent commitment to those goals has greatly helped in further enhancing U.N. Peacekeeping's credibility worldwide. Mr. Ban's efforts included visits to almost all affected mission areas, in particular the earthquake-devastated Haiti as well as Cote d???Ivoire and Darfur. His in-depth knowledge of peacekeeping coupled with his outstanding negotiation skills were particularly valuable during the various crises we faced, for example, in Darfur, the Sudan, Haiti and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Recently, during the events in Ivory Coast, the secretary-general took extremely courageous and decisive steps to successfully halt the violence against civilians and restore the constitutional order of that country. The secretary general's personal dedication to peacekeeping has been invaluable in assisting to maintain peace and security in so many countries and giving people a fighting chance in some of the world's most dangerous and inhospitable places."
Nesirky said as follows: "It is an immense challenge and privilege to work as the spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. I first met Mr. Ban when he was working as foreign policy adviser at the Blue House, and I was the Seoul bureau chief for Reuters news agency. With colleagues, I interviewed Mr. Ban a couple of times more when he was foreign minister. I found that far from being evasive, Mr. Ban was precise and clear in those interviews, and made news. I found him engaging, quick-witted and considerate. When I was leaving Seoul to move to Vienna, Minister Ban invited me to tea at MOFAT (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade), and of course indulged me when I turned afternoon tea into another interview. Here at the United Nations, I have been able to witness even more closely the secretary-general's style of work and devotion to the values and priorities of the organization since I became spokesperson in December 2009. Of course, it's no surprise to Koreans that the secretary-general is incredibly hardworking, rising early and setting a fast pace through the whole day -- often more than a dozen meetings or other engagements a day -- and often late into the night. What I have found most impressive is the secretary-general's focus throughout and his memory for detail across so many topics. He also has the ability to raise difficult subjects with his interlocutors while remaining composed and receptive to their views. He is compassionate, too. Right after the earthquake in Japan, the secretary-general called me very early in the morning to ask how he should respond. When I said he should speak to reporters as soon as possible and, if possible, in Japanese too, he agreed immediately. He went to the stakeout early that day, and spoke with genuine emotion that made a true difference to the people of Japan at a time of great crisis. I have been with the secretary-general in several countries in Africa, in Haiti five days after the earthquake that took so many lives including of U.N. staff, in Pakistan during the floods, in Gaza, in the splendor of the Kremlin or Rome and elsewhere. He adapts swiftly, and knows instinctively how to put people at their ease. He also never wastes time -- I have seen him writing dozens of New Year cards during the night on a long flight back from one trip -- and he is attentive; he sent flowers to my wife and me after our daughter was born last year. The secretary-general highlights a number of areas where he feels the United Nations has made a difference in the past four and half years: placing climate change at the top of the global agenda, the setting up of the new U.N. women agency and the promotion of more women to senior positions in the organization, the focus on disarmament and development, and the U.N.'s clear voice on the Arab Spring and Cote d'Ivoire. I have no doubt he will push ahead with those priorities for the rest of his term. Should the General Assembly elect him for a second term, I am sure the secretary-general would continue in the same spirit and with the same energy and purpose."
How is the former South Korean foreign minister assessed by his subordinates at the United Nations?
Ranking U.N. officials generally seem to share the view that Ban is a devoted and courageous leader who is praised for resolving global problems with professional knowledge and outstanding negotiating power over the past four and a half years.
Ban successfully secured a second term as head of the United Nations on Tuesday, a clear sign that the soft-spoken bridge-builder has won the hearts and minds of officials of governments around the world as well as the U.N. body.
He is credited with demonstrating a commitment to peacekeeping efforts around the world and placing climate change at the top of the global agenda while giving the U.N. a clear voice on the Arab Spring that toppled longtime autocratic leaders.
Alain Le Roy, the U.N. under-secretary-general for Peacekeeping Operations, said Ban has assisted in maintaining peace and security in many countries and gave people "a fighting chance" in some of the world's most dangerous and inhospitable places.
Le Roy said Ban visited almost all affected mission areas, including earthquake-devastated Haiti as well as Ivory Coast and Darfur, noting his in-depth knowledge of peacekeeping and outstanding negotiation skills were particularly valuable during various crises.
"During the events in Ivory Coast, the secretary-general took extremely courageous and decisive steps to successfully halt the violence against civilians and restore the constitutional order of that country," Le Roy said in an e-mail interview with Yonhap News Agency, without elaborating.
Ban's spokesman, Martin Nesirky, expressed confidence that the U.N. chief will push ahead with such priorities as dealing with climate change, disarmament and development for the rest of his term.
Nesirky also praised Ban for his abilities to adapt swiftly, put people at ease and speak with genuine emotion during crises, noting Ban's work in places like Haiti, Pakistan and Gaza.
The spokesman also said Ban is incredibly hardworking and often held more than a dozen meetings or other engagements a day with focus throughout.
"He also has the ability to raise difficult subjects with his interlocutors while remaining composed and receptive to their views. He is compassionate, too," Nesirky said in a separate e-mail interview.
Nesirky, who first met Ban as the Seoul bureau chief for Reuters news agency, said he found Ban engaging, quick-witted and considerate.
"He also never wastes time -- I have seen him writing dozens of New Year cards during the night on a long flight back from one trip -- and he is attentive; he sent flowers to my wife and me after our daughter was born last year," Nesirky said.
The followings are the full texts of messages by Le Roy and Nesirky.
Le Roy said as follows: "I am honored and privileged to have served under the extraordinary leadership of Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon for the last three years. United Nations Peacekeeping requires dedication and courage to help the disenfranchised, poor and displaced when they are most vulnerable. Mr. Ban's personal permanent commitment to those goals has greatly helped in further enhancing U.N. Peacekeeping's credibility worldwide. Mr. Ban's efforts included visits to almost all affected mission areas, in particular the earthquake-devastated Haiti as well as Cote d???Ivoire and Darfur. His in-depth knowledge of peacekeeping coupled with his outstanding negotiation skills were particularly valuable during the various crises we faced, for example, in Darfur, the Sudan, Haiti and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Recently, during the events in Ivory Coast, the secretary-general took extremely courageous and decisive steps to successfully halt the violence against civilians and restore the constitutional order of that country. The secretary general's personal dedication to peacekeeping has been invaluable in assisting to maintain peace and security in so many countries and giving people a fighting chance in some of the world's most dangerous and inhospitable places."
Nesirky said as follows: "It is an immense challenge and privilege to work as the spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. I first met Mr. Ban when he was working as foreign policy adviser at the Blue House, and I was the Seoul bureau chief for Reuters news agency. With colleagues, I interviewed Mr. Ban a couple of times more when he was foreign minister. I found that far from being evasive, Mr. Ban was precise and clear in those interviews, and made news. I found him engaging, quick-witted and considerate. When I was leaving Seoul to move to Vienna, Minister Ban invited me to tea at MOFAT (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade), and of course indulged me when I turned afternoon tea into another interview. Here at the United Nations, I have been able to witness even more closely the secretary-general's style of work and devotion to the values and priorities of the organization since I became spokesperson in December 2009. Of course, it's no surprise to Koreans that the secretary-general is incredibly hardworking, rising early and setting a fast pace through the whole day -- often more than a dozen meetings or other engagements a day -- and often late into the night. What I have found most impressive is the secretary-general's focus throughout and his memory for detail across so many topics. He also has the ability to raise difficult subjects with his interlocutors while remaining composed and receptive to their views. He is compassionate, too. Right after the earthquake in Japan, the secretary-general called me very early in the morning to ask how he should respond. When I said he should speak to reporters as soon as possible and, if possible, in Japanese too, he agreed immediately. He went to the stakeout early that day, and spoke with genuine emotion that made a true difference to the people of Japan at a time of great crisis. I have been with the secretary-general in several countries in Africa, in Haiti five days after the earthquake that took so many lives including of U.N. staff, in Pakistan during the floods, in Gaza, in the splendor of the Kremlin or Rome and elsewhere. He adapts swiftly, and knows instinctively how to put people at their ease. He also never wastes time -- I have seen him writing dozens of New Year cards during the night on a long flight back from one trip -- and he is attentive; he sent flowers to my wife and me after our daughter was born last year. The secretary-general highlights a number of areas where he feels the United Nations has made a difference in the past four and half years: placing climate change at the top of the global agenda, the setting up of the new U.N. women agency and the promotion of more women to senior positions in the organization, the focus on disarmament and development, and the U.N.'s clear voice on the Arab Spring and Cote d'Ivoire. I have no doubt he will push ahead with those priorities for the rest of his term. Should the General Assembly elect him for a second term, I am sure the secretary-general would continue in the same spirit and with the same energy and purpose."
