Ban Ki-moon Makes Bid for Second Term as U.N. Chief
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon officially announced on Monday that he will stand for a second five-year term in office.
The former South Korea foreign minister has vowed to continue to lead the U.N. by being a “bridge builder” during a time of unprecedented global changes.
Ban is almost virtually assured of re-election, and currently no rival has emerged for the post.
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In New York on Monday, Ban said, “It has been an enormous privilege to lead this great organization.
“If supported by the member states, I would be deeply honored to serve once more, throughout my time in office, I have sought to be a bridge-builder.”
Ban has often been criticized for not being prominent enough on the world stage, and in particular, not being outspoken enough against human right abuses.
However, Ban confronted these criticisms and claimed Monday that he has spoken out strongly for human rights on the international stage.
His supporters highlight that he recently gained high praise for his firm support for Arab pro-democracy protesters across the Middle East and Northern Africa.
Ban explained that he has overseen efficient responses to numerous humanitarian crises, and has done well in making climate change a top agenda for the world’s most influential nations.
Already, public endorsements for Ban’s re-election have begun flooding in, and commentators widely expect him to be officially re-elected before the end of June.
