UNITED NATIONS: Ban Ki-moon wants a stronger United Nations to deal with 'unprecedented' threats

Record ID: 562443

  • Title: UNITED NATIONS: Ban Ki-moon wants a stronger United Nations to deal with 'unprecedented' threats
  • Date: 9th January 2007
  • Summary: (W5) UNITED NATIONS (FILE) (REUTERS) UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS
  • Embargoed: 24th January 2007 12:00
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  • Reuters ID: LVA4HMXX0E7K2TTOX8Y10WHPZJRL
  • Story Text: The United Nations must strengthen its capacity to deal with the unprecedented threats to peace and security it faces in 2007, new U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the Security Council on Monday (January 8).
    "We face an unprecedented demand for peacekeeping as well as a range of growing demands for preventive diplomacy, good officers, peace-building and efforts in conflict management. This council and the organization as a whole are going through one of the busiest periods in our history with a record number of peace operations, resolutions and reports over the past few years," Ban said during his first appearance before the 15-nation council since taking office last Monday (January 1).
    In a statement adopted after Ban's remarks, the council stressed the need for improved U.N. capacity to assess conflicts and plan and manage peacekeeping missions.
    "Too often the council and the international community are witnesses to the emergence of conflict rather than actively involved in prevention. We see or we fail to see crisis developing and agree to act only when it is too late. The council and the Secretariat must form a stronger partnership in conflict prevention," said British ambassador Emyr Jones Parry.
    Members also discussed the need for robust peace-building efforts to help post-conflict countries avoid a relapse into conflict. United States Ambassador Alejandro Wolff welcomed the establishment of the new UN Peace-building Commission (October 2006) and said that his government will measure its effectiveness in post-conflict management when it becomes active on the ground.
    "It is also critical that this council help countries emerging from crisis transition to more stable, long term path of economic and political development. We welcome the establishment of a peace-building commission; however we will measure the success of the commission on the ground in Burundi, Sierra Leone and in other countries in which it will engage," said Wolff.
    Ban said he was taking the U.N. reins at "one of the busiest periods in our history," citing the crisis in Sudan's Darfur region, continuing conflict in the Middle East, an elusive peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo and deliberations on the future of Serbia's Kosovo province.
    These were all crises no one country could tackle on its own, making them a U.N. responsibility, he said.
    Terrorism, AIDS, an absence of the rule of law in various parts of the world, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction also challenged U.N. capabilities, he said.
    He made no reference to Iraq.
    While the council had already taken steps on questions of proliferation and disarmament, including in North Korea and Iran, Ban said much remained to be done and that he was committed to reinforcing the U.N. role in these areas.
    Ambassador Wang Guangya called on multilateralism together with the council's authority as key principles needed to deal with any major issues concerning peace and security.
    "In the Chinese view, multilateralism should be upheld and enhanced and the authority of the Security Council preserved of major issues concerning peace and security," said Wang.
    Compared to his predecessor Kofi Annan, former South Korean foreign minister Ban is expected to lead a United Nations more aware of its limitations and the small space any secretary-general has to manoeuvre.
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