Ban
Ki-moon has left the UN Secretariat building today, at the end of his second
mandate.
He
spent the last ten years at the UN helm. I worked directly under him during a
few years and can´t let him go without saying that he has always tried to do
his best as Secretary-General.
People
have criticised his low profile style, his communication skills, and his indecision
in some critical moments, and so on. But they have forgotten he comes from a
very different cultural and civilizational background, one that is more inclined
to pursue dialogue and harmony instead of our Western way that puts a premium
on personal confrontation. And many have also been blind to his tremendous
efforts on climate change, on improving the work of the Security Council, on gender, the protection of civilians, and on enhancing the coordination with the regional organisations, such as the
African Union, the EU and NATO. He has managed to keep the bridges open with
the key members of the UN Security Council and that´s in itself a major
achievement.
We
should be mindful to the fact that the UN is an extremely complex organisation.
It is the meeting point of all the national interests as the member States
perceive them. The Secretary-General is caught in that dense web of narrow interests.
He has immense authority, it is true, but it is also seen by the States as
their top international civil servant. That´s not a very easy position.
I
think it is fair to say goodbye to Ban Ki-moon on a positive note.
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