Christoph
02-01-07, 10:59
South Korea's Ban Ki Moon has taken over as secretary general of the United Nations - the first Asian to hold the post in 35 years.
The South Korean former foreign minister is the organisation's eighth leader and succeeds Kofi Annan, who was at the helm for 10 years.
Mr Ban faces a number of global crises as well as reform of the UN itself.
He has vowed to be a bridge-builder and a harmoniser and to set the highest ethical standards.
The BBC's UN correspondent in New York, Laura Trevelyan, says Mr Ban, 62, has given little away about his diplomatic priorities.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/6222437.stm
Ban Ki-Moon: Diplomat with a difference
Annan's successor as Secretary-General of the United Nations is determined to make his mark. But few inside the organisation's New York HQ know what makes him tick
By David Usborne
Published: 01 January 2007
Shortly before Christmas, Ban Ki-moon, who today formally takes over as the new Secretary-General of the United Nations, paid a courtesy visit to his future office on the 38th floor of UN headquarters in New York.
All curiosity about his new job, the soft-spoken former South Korean foreign minister sat for a while with Alicia Bárcena, the chef de cabinet of the departing Kofi Annan.
"Well," he said, "take me through a typical day of the Secretary-General." Ms Bárcena replied that it usually began with a nine o'clock meeting with the inner circle of advisors. Mr Ban stopped her right there. "Nine o'clock?" he asked in bewilderment. "Why not eight o'clock?" Ms Bárcena stuttered that there was no good reason not to begin an hour earlier except that there would be no one in the building.
........
http://news.independent.co.uk/people/profiles/article2116919.ece
New U.N. chief appoints Indian diplomat as cabinet chief and Haitian journalist as spokesperson
UNITED NATIONS: Incoming U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed veteran Indian diplomat Vijay Nambiar as his chief of staff and award-winning Haitian journalist Michele Montas as his spokesperson.
The appointments were the first by Ban, who officially takes the reins of the United Nations on New Year's Day. In a statement Sunday, he said he intends to make further appointments in the coming days.
"Today's appointments will serve as a solid basis for establishing my team and pursuing a program of reform of the Secretariat to provide continuity along with change," Ban said.
......
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/01/01/news/UN_GEN_UN_Secretary_General_Appointments.php
The South Korean former foreign minister is the organisation's eighth leader and succeeds Kofi Annan, who was at the helm for 10 years.
Mr Ban faces a number of global crises as well as reform of the UN itself.
He has vowed to be a bridge-builder and a harmoniser and to set the highest ethical standards.
The BBC's UN correspondent in New York, Laura Trevelyan, says Mr Ban, 62, has given little away about his diplomatic priorities.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/6222437.stm
Ban Ki-Moon: Diplomat with a difference
Annan's successor as Secretary-General of the United Nations is determined to make his mark. But few inside the organisation's New York HQ know what makes him tick
By David Usborne
Published: 01 January 2007
Shortly before Christmas, Ban Ki-moon, who today formally takes over as the new Secretary-General of the United Nations, paid a courtesy visit to his future office on the 38th floor of UN headquarters in New York.
All curiosity about his new job, the soft-spoken former South Korean foreign minister sat for a while with Alicia Bárcena, the chef de cabinet of the departing Kofi Annan.
"Well," he said, "take me through a typical day of the Secretary-General." Ms Bárcena replied that it usually began with a nine o'clock meeting with the inner circle of advisors. Mr Ban stopped her right there. "Nine o'clock?" he asked in bewilderment. "Why not eight o'clock?" Ms Bárcena stuttered that there was no good reason not to begin an hour earlier except that there would be no one in the building.
........
http://news.independent.co.uk/people/profiles/article2116919.ece
New U.N. chief appoints Indian diplomat as cabinet chief and Haitian journalist as spokesperson
UNITED NATIONS: Incoming U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed veteran Indian diplomat Vijay Nambiar as his chief of staff and award-winning Haitian journalist Michele Montas as his spokesperson.
The appointments were the first by Ban, who officially takes the reins of the United Nations on New Year's Day. In a statement Sunday, he said he intends to make further appointments in the coming days.
"Today's appointments will serve as a solid basis for establishing my team and pursuing a program of reform of the Secretariat to provide continuity along with change," Ban said.
......
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/01/01/news/UN_GEN_UN_Secretary_General_Appointments.php