The United Nations Under Ban Ki Moon

This book chronicles the story of the United Nations under Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in the decade 2007–2016. Marcel Jesenský provides a compelling account of the organization’s activities and Ban Ki-moon’s role in reconciling the aims, principles and prerogatives of his office, the organization and its Charter with the demands, interests and power of the member states. Today, as never before, the concept of the post–World War II multilateral framework of international relations tries to harmonize the claims for its reform and re-evaluation with growing demands to manage the globalized world. This work, invaluable for readers interested in global governance, multilateral diplomacy, the United Nations and international relations, presents its subject in historical context and provides answers to assist its understanding.

Born just one year before the United Nations itself, Ban Ki-moon came of age with the world body. His earliest memories are haunted by the sound of bombs dropping on his Korean village and the sight of fires consuming what remained. The six-year-old boy fled with his family, trudging for miles in mud-soaked shoes, suffering from incessant hunger, and wondering how they would survive—until the United Nations rescued them. Young Ban Ki-moon grew up determined to repay this lifesaving generosity. Resolved is Ban Ki-moon’s personal account of his decade at the helm of the organization during a period of historic turmoil and promise. Meeting challenges and resistance with a belief in the UN’s mission of peace, development, and human rights, he steered the United Nations through a volatile period that included the Arab Spring, nuclear pursuits in Iran and North Korea, the Ebola epidemic, and brutal new conflicts in Central Africa. As secretary-general, Ban also forged global agreements to fight extreme poverty and address the climate crisis. Ban performed what has been called “the most impossible job on this earth” with a genuine belief in collective action and global transformation. Freed from the diplomatic constraints of a lifetime of public service, he offers a candid assessment of the people and events that shape our era and a bracing analysis of what lies ahead.

Only eight people have been privileged to hold the job of Secretary General since the United Nations' founding in 1945. And only one of them has ever told the inside story of the UN while still holding that special office. That man is Ban Ki-moon, the veteran diplomat and former star foreign minister of South Korea now in his second term as “SG”. Because he understands that the UN is in crisis – and because he fears the reasons for this are not widely understood – he believes it is time to unveil the truth about the organization and explain why its failure would be a catastrophe. The result, via unprecedented conversations with American journalist Tom Plate, is a deeply revealing book about the kinds of issues and challenges whose resolutions (or lack thereof) will in fact determine the future of the world.

The future of the United Nations under Ban Ki-Moon : hearing before the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, One Hundred Tenth Congress, first session, February 13, 2007.

The United Nations works across the world for peace, sustainable development, human rights and the rule of law. This collection of speeches by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon shows the breadth of those efforts - advances and struggles alike - at a time of profound transition for the human family. Since taking office in 2007, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has sought to mobilize the international community behind global solutions to urgent challenges ranging from climate change and poverty to armed conflict and the spread of deadly weapons. The goal: dignity, freedom and opportunity for all.

A biography of South Korea's former foreign minister and the United Nation's current Secretary-General.

This volume explores United Nations efforts over the past decade to uphold the values and advance the objectives of the UN Charter. It offers a reflection on the challenges, explains the Organization's approaches, and catalogues both gains and setbacks, as well as suggests avenues for future action. This book highlights the fact that under Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's tenure there has been a dramatic rise in the expectations placed on the UN. Those demands emanate from the world's people, governments, those caught up in conflict or oppression, and from Mother Earth, suffering so much from decades of misuse. Today's UN is asked to work in more spheres of activity, more locations and more difficult circumstances. It has deployed more peace operations than ever and now serves the largest humanitarian caseload in history. With the adoption of bold new goals on sustainability and climate change, the UN also has the most ambitious development agenda since its founding.