U.N. chief calls for 'intellectual social responsibility'

(ATTN: ADDS Ban's meeting with Lee in last 5 paras)
By Kim Deok-hyun
SEOUL, Aug. 10 (Yonhap) -- Intellectuals and academics around the world must step up their joint efforts for sustainable development that aims to improve people's lives, while preserving the environment for future generations, U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon said Wednesday.
"Today, we are facing more complex and interconnected problems that cause so much suffering," the secretary-general told an academic forum in Seoul. "And the responsibility to solve major problems lies on intellectuals."
By sharing ideas across borders and disciplines and taking education beyond the classroom to tackle real problems, Ban said, the world can find solutions to those problems and make progress on sustainable development, food security and climate change.
"Let's call this initiative 'intellectual social responsibility,'" said Ban, who arrived in his native South Korea on Tuesday for a six-day visit. "If we achieve this initiative, we will help make the world fairer and wiser."



Ban's visit to South Korea this week is his first since he was elected to a second five-year term as U.N. chief in June. He has said sustainable development will be his top priority during his second term that starts Jan. 1 next year.
About 300 university officials from around the world attended the three-day forum, called the U.N. Academic Impact. Jointly hosted by South Korea's foreign and education ministries, it was the first such conference in Asia.
Initiated by Ban in 2008, the Academic Impact is a U.N.-backed global initiative that calls for institutions of higher education around the world to support 10 "universally accepted" principles in the areas of human rights, literacy, sustainability and conflict resolution.
The initiative also asks each participating college or university to actively demonstrate support of at least one of those principles each year.
A total of 43 universities in South Korea, including Sungkyunkwan University and Yonsei University, signed up for the initiative, according to education ministry officials.
During the forum, U.N. officials said education is one of the key driving forces for the global organization to achieve its eight ambitious goals set in 2000.
"Education cuts across all the Millennium Development Goals," said Getachew Engida, deputy director-general of the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
"It is the key to their achievement. Education saves lives, improves livelihoods, enables political participation and drives economic growth," he told audiences.
In July, a U.N. report suggested that the world could miss a hunger reduction target by 2015, one of the eight goals. At that time, Ban noted progress toward achieving the goals, but acknowledged that there remains "a long way to go."



Later in the day, Ban paid a visit to President Lee Myung-bak.
Over dinner, Lee congratulated Ban on his reelection as U.N. chief and praised his efforts to resolve outstanding international issues, officials said.
In response, Ban offered congratulations on South Korea's successful hosting of November's G-20 summit and PyeongChang's victorious bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics, saying the country's international standing has risen thanks to Lee's leadership, officials said.
Ban also expressed thanks for South Korea's quick provision of drought aid to eastern Africa and asked his homeland to make greater contributions to the international community, taking advantage of its democracy and economic development, officials said.
Ban also invited Lee to the U.N. General Assembly set for September in New York.