Ban Ki-moon to lead UN
All assessment of him has been positive. For many, this is a sign of the maturity of South Korea, which entered the UN in 1991.
Seoul (AsiaNews) "Polite when he speaks, smiling easily, he may not seem charismatic, but he has inner strength." This is how the Korean Herald introduced Ban Ki-noon, South Korea's foreign affairs minister who on 2 October was virtually elected to be the next UN secretary-general, succeeding Kofi Annan.
The members of the Security Council expressed themselves in favour of his candidacy with an absolute majority of 14 votes to one. Although this was just an informal poll, the voting preference was so clear that the Council decided to go ahead with the formal vote on 9 October. Confirmation is a foregone conclusion. "From today's vote, it is clear that Minister Ban Ki-moon is the candidate that the Security Council will recommend to the General Assembly," Wang Guanya, ambassador of China to the United Nations, told journalists. Ban declared his candidacy in February but back then few analysts predicted he would be successful. Nations with clout like Japan and India never backed him. Another six contenders came forward, all Asian. Anyhow, in all informal polls, which started in July, Ban always got a majority.
The vote of 2 October is decisive because the "five big" permanent members with the right of veto (China, France, England, Russia and the United States), all voted for him. With ill-concealed satisfaction, employees of Seoul's foreign affairs ministry said: "Ban Ki-moon has now turned the corner and made a giant step towards his goal."
"We are very happy with the result," said John Bolton, US representative at the UN. Ironically, it was the representative of Japan at the UN, Kenzo Oshima, rotating chairman of the Security Council, who communicated the positive result to Ban. Japan's foreign affairs minister, Taro Aso, hastened to acknowledge that "Ban Ki-moon as UN secretary-general will be a good leader."
Theoretically, India could pose an obstacle. This country had expressed the desire that the General Assembly be presented with more than one candidate, something current regulations do not allow. Ma Shashi Tharoor, the Indian contender, came second in the latest opinion poll of the Security Council, and he has withdrawn his candidacy. Tharoor said: "It's clear that Ban will be our next secretary-general. I wish him every success in this task and I support him strongly."
Ban Ki-moon did not hide his satisfaction when he heard the outcome of the voting. "I willingly accept the voting result and at the same time I feel a sense of huge responsibility."
Knowing the personality of the South Korean foreign affairs minister, many analysts take the view that the Security Council could not have found a better person to succeed Kofi Annan.
Ban Ki-moon was born in 1944 to a rural family in South Korea. He is married with three children. Ban is not a politician, but a diplomat by vocation and career. He graduated with top marks from the prestigious universities of Seoul and Harvard (USA). He joined the foreign affairs ministry in 1970 and climbed the ranks until he was appointed foreign affairs minister in 2004. He speaks English and French fluently, he knows Japanese and even some German.
The Korean Herald wrote: "His career, his experiences, including his familiarity with the UN environment, and his direct knowledge of many member states, make him suitable for nearly all the demands of the new post. Polite when he speaks, smiling easily, he may not seem charismatic, but he has inner strength."
For the Korean Times, Ban's virtual election "is one of the greatest events in the history of Korean diplomacy. This will dramatically promote the state and image of this nation at global level." Pride and joy are justified. Prof. Denis Smith of the New York University, said: "The emergence of this candidacy is truly a noteworthy fact given that South Korea's admission into the United Nations is relatively recent (1991). It is a homage to the rapid ascent at global level of both the nation and the candidate."
However, Korean analysts have warned the country against narcissistic exaltation. "Ban and South Korea should use this opportunity to offer a bigger contribution to global peace and prosperity," wrote the columnist of the Korean Times. "(South) Korea is a great beneficiary of the UN that created and defended it. Seoul, having realised three important objectives peace, development, democracy in a short time, has been a model son. But now it is time to repay our debts to the world."
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