(Yonhap Interview) UN chief defends "quiet diplomacy," urges continued reform

NEW YORK, June 27 (Yonhap) -- U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has faced some
cutting criticism about his low-profile leadership but defended his "quiet
diplomacy" and achievements firmly half way through his five-year term.
Dealing with an array of global crises, Ban said he "humbly accepts" critical
input, but emphasized in a special interview with Yonhap News Agency in his New
York office on Thursday that the U.N. functions in a very different manner to a
single government.
"Expectations of the U.N. are rightly high at a time of many global crises, and
where problems are not resolved smoothly, frustration runs just as high as
expectation," the soft-spoken former South Korean foreign minister said.
The U.N. is grappling with what Ban calls the "Four F" crises -- fuel, food,
finance, and flu -- in addition to unrelenting regional conflicts, global
warming, poverty in underdeveloped nations, and the Iranian and North Korean
nuclear issues.
People tend to believe that the U.N., with a 15-member Security Council and
diverse opinions among the 192 member nations, can present immediate solutions to
such matters, Ban said.
As the head of the U.N., "I humbly accept any evaluation of me," he said. "But
those (global) problems can't be solved by one person. All the member states need
to cooperate," Ban said in the interview conducted in Korean.
He is said to be more diligent and hard working than any of his predecessors but
has also faced criticism that he has been too low-profile and too uncharismatic
to lead in these difficult times.
While accepting negative assessments, mainly by some Western media, he defended
his leadership style, stressing the unique characteristics of the U.N.
"Countries involved in regional conflicts have very different backgrounds and
understandings. There are many cases in which the U.N. can't intervene," he said.
"I make statements as strong as possible on issues that have to do with universal
values, including human rights and sovereignty."
He said he has issued 22 "considerably strong" statements on the conflict in Sri
Lanka and flew to Myanmar when it was devastated by a cyclone to call for its
military junta to open up to international food aid, which eventually saved the
lives of half a million people there.
"There are things that only a U.N. secretary general can do," said Ban.
During a trip to Gaza, as he saw the damage resulting from Israeli attacks, he
strongly pressed for a ceasefire, Ban said, refuting criticism that he kept his
head down on the conflict.
Ban said there could be a wide gap between the largely Western culture at the
U.N. and his Asian-style leadership. He is the second Asian to serve as the U.N.
chief following U Thant of Myanmar, who was the U.N.' s third secretary general
from 1961 to 1971.
Ban also said he will press ahead with U.N. reform measures despite an internal
backlash.
"I have pushed for reform passionately for the past two and a half years. There
will be resistance in the process. I think it is a temporary pain," he said.
U.N. officials are now required to undergo annual performance evaluations and
disclose their financial assets. Though unpopular within the U.N. headquarters in
New York, the move has been lauded by many U.N. observers, he said.
"But there is still a long way to go," Ban said.
Some view criticism of Ban as a result of opposition to his reform drive or an
attempt to block him being re-elected to a second term.
Ban would not comment on such speculation. "It is not a matter I can talk about,"
he said, only saying re-election was not his concern.
On North Korea, the secretary-general reiterated his calls for dialogue between
North Korea and the United States and reconciliation between the two Koreas.
"It is a matter of great concern that North Korea is taking a defiant attitude
despite the adoption of the U.N. Security Council resolution (against its nuclear
test on May 25)," he said.
"The U.N. is making its own efforts (to help break the deadlock) as North Korea
keeps the door to dialogue closed. But it is likely to take some time."
lcd@yna.co.kr
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