UN´s Priorities - A Foreign Policy Benchmark?

Statements by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon on Africa and Priorities for his term at the UN.

The world cannot afford to ignore Africa. It is very alarming that this big continent with a huge economic potential, blessed with many natural resources, remains the only one today which will not be able to meet all the Millennium Development Goals. (Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in opening remarks at press conference in Addis Ababa, 2 February 2009)

My priorities as Secretary-General. Ban-Ki-moon outlines his vision of a stronger UN for a better world. “I am determined to make progress on the pressing issues of our time, step by step, by building on achievements along the way, working with Member States and civil society.”

My priorities as Secretary-General

A Stronger United Nations for a Better World

The spirit and vision that infused world leaders in 1945 inspire me every day... The promise and values of those early years in the UN’s history are as relevant today in our considerably more complex and interdependent world as they were over 60 years ago…

In the last 60 years, the UN has shown it can:

Serve as a forum to set a global agenda; Build consensus on contentious issues;

Set standards for nations to live by; Play the role of honest broker; Keep fighting parties apart; Help bring justice to those discriminated against; Deliver humanitarian assistance and ensure access to food, medicine, education and health care; Improve living conditions and alleviate poverty; Pursue a vigorous development agenda.

As Secretary-General, I resolve to: Lead by example; Seek excellence with humility; Set the highest ethical standard; Pursue dialogue and engagement; Play the role of harmonizer and bridge-builder; Make transparency and accountability the cornerstone of my tenure; Be animated by both passion and compassion in achieving our goals; Be sensitive to the concerns of all Member States, big and small. Ban Ki-Moon

Chris K Dankwa [ Published for DiplomacyWatch.Com on on 18 April 2009]

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