UN Photo/Mark Garten

I follow in a line of remarkable leaders. They had also faced this moment, each at a critical juncture in the Organization's history. Like myself today, they must have pondered what the years ahead would hold at the helm of this dynamic institution. Each made important and lasting contributions to our common enterprise in upholding humanity's deepest values and highest aspirations.

In particular, you Mr. Secretary-General (Kofi Annan) have astutely guided our Organization into the twenty-first century. You have defined an ambitious agenda that has made the UN truly indispensable to peace, prosperity and human dignity around the world. Our debt to your courage and vision is immeasurable. I resolve to build upon your legacy.

By completing the appointment of the next Secretary-General with such alacrity, you have opened an unprecedented opportunity. Never before has an incoming Secretary-General been given sufficient time to prepare. You have given me more than two months. I will use these weeks to consult widely on how best to proceed with our common agenda of reform and revitalization. I will listen attentively to your concerns, expectations and admonitions.

I am deeply honoured to become the second Asian to lead the Organization, following U Thant, who ably served the world four decades ago. It is quite fitting that you have now turned to Asia again for the next Secretary-General to guide the UN system through its seventh decade. Asia is dynamic and diverse, and Asia aspires to take on greater responsibilities for the world. Having come so far and rising still, the region is living and shaping the full range of achievements and challenges of our current times. Asia is also a region where modesty is a virtue. But the modesty is about demeanour, not about vision and goals. It does not mean a lack of commitment or leadership. Rather, it is quiet determination in action to get things done without so much fanfare. This maybe the key to Asia's success, and to the UN future.

COURTESY OF THE PERMANENT MISSION OF THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA

Indeed, our Organization is modest in its means, but not in its values. We should be more modest in our words, but not in our performance. The true measure of success for the UN is not how much we promise, but how much we deliver for those who need us most. Given the enduring purposes and inspiring principles of our Organization, we need not shout its praises or preach its virtues. We simply need to live them every day-step by step, programme by programme, mandate by mandate.

The surge in demand for UN services attests not only to the United Nations abiding relevance but also to its central place in advancing human dignity. The UN is needed now more than ever before. The UN core mission in the previous century was to keep countries from fighting each other. In the new century, the defining mandate is to strengthen the interstate system so that humanity may be better served amidst new challenges. From the Balkans to Africa, from Asia to the Middle East, we have witnessed the weakening or absence of effective governance leading to the ravaging of human rights and the abandonment of longstanding humanitarian principles. We need competent and responsible States to meet the needs of "we the peoples" for whom the UN was created. And the world's peoples will not be fully served unless peace, development and human rights-the three pillars of the UN-are advanced together with equal vigour.

The road that we must pave toward a world of peace, prosperity and dignity for all has many pitfalls. As Secretary-General, I will make the most of the authority invested in my office by the Charter and the mandate you give me. I will work diligently to materialize our responsibility to protect the most vulnerable members of humanity and for the peaceful resolution of threats to international security and regional stability. In order to meet these growing mandates and expectations, we have engaged in the most sweeping reform effort in the history of the Organization. The very scope of the reform has taxed the attention and energies of both the delegations and the Secretariat. But we must stay the course. We need to muster the human, institutional and intellectual resources and to organize them properly. We should do our part in meeting the Millennium Development Goals, the expanding peace operations, the threats posed by terrorism, weapons of mass destruction (WMD) proliferation, HIV/AIDS and other pandemics, environmental degradation and the imperatives of human rights.

Let us remember that we reform not to please others, but because we value what this Organization stands for. We reform because we believe in its future. To revitalize our common endeavour is to renew our faith not only in UN programmes and purposes but also in each other. We should demand more of ourselves, as well as of our Organization. To cut through the fog of mistrust is going to require more intensive dialogue. We cannot change everything at once. But if we choose wisely and work together transparently, flexibly and honestly, progress in a few areas will lead to progress in many more. Only the Member States can revitalize this Organization. But I will always be there to assist and facilitate as needed.

[(Translated from French) As Secretary-General, I am determined to manage the Secretariat in an open and responsible manner. I will seek to build consensus based on an open exchange of ideas and honest critique. It is only with great sincerity and a candid discussion of ideas and proposals that we will be able to identify the best ways to serve the people of the world.

I will try to work actively in order to be available to all parties concerned. In particular, I will work diligently to engage civil society on the path of dialogue so as to bring the UN closer to humanity. For the good of the Organization, I will try to secure the assistance and participation of humanitarian organizations, the business community and other components of civil society throughout the world.

My mandate will be marked by my unremitting efforts to build bridges and close gaps. Balanced, exemplary leadership that refuses to succumb to division and avoids an overabundance of hasty directives has always served me well. As Secretary-General, I intend to remain faithful to these principles. I will take full responsibility for managing the Secretariat. Member States establish mandates and provide the resources. If I feel the resources are insufficient to tackle the challenges we face, I will not hesitate to tell you. However, once we at the Secretariat have decided to take charge of our mission, we need to have full responsibility for seeing it through.]

I am eager to join the ranks of the world's premier secretariat. I have deep respect and admiration for the able, dedicated and courageous men and women who serve this Organization day in and day out, often in the face of danger and personal sacrifice. To them, I pledge my utmost support, dedication and solidarity. Maintaining their proud heritage, while vigorously holding them to the highest standards of professionalism and integrity, will be a prime goal of my tenure. The aim of Secretariat reform is not to penalize but to reward, so that their talent and skill, experience and dedication may be fully mobilized and properly utilized.

Rewarding hard work and excellence to boost morale, making everyone accountable for his/her own action or inaction, and pushing for greater gender balance, in particular at senior levels-these will be my guide, as I rally the Secretariat staff for our very best performance in serving the Organization. As your Secretary-General, I am far from perfect, and I will need the unsparing support, cooperation and trust from all represented here. But I pledge to serve you well, with all of my heart and to the best of my abilities. I will seek excellence with humility. I will lead by example. Promises should be made for the keeping. This has been my motto in life. I intend to stick to it as I work with all stakeholders for a United Nations that delivers on its promises.

"It has been a long journey from my youth in war-torn and destitute Korea to this rostrum and these awesome responsibilities. I could make the journey because the UN was with my people in our darkest days. UN PHOTO

My heart is overflowing with gratitude toward my country and people who have sent me here to serve. It has been a long journey from my youth in war-torn and destitute Korea to this rostrum and these awesome responsibilities. I could make the journey because the UN was with my people in our darkest days. It gave us hope and sustenance, security and dignity. It showed us a better way. So I feel at home today, however many miles and years I have travelled. For the Korean people, the UN flag was and remains a beacon of better days to come. There are countless stories of that faith. One belongs to me. In 1956, when the cold war was raging around the world, as a young boy of 12, I was chosen to read out a public message on behalf of my elementary school, addressed to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Dag Hammarskjold. We urged him to help the people of a certain faraway Asian country in their fight for freedom and democracy. I hardly understood the deeper meaning of the message, but I knew that the UN was there for help in times of need.

COURTESY OF THE PERMANENT MISSION OF THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA

Fifty years later, the world is a much more complex place, and there are many more actors to turn to. During those years, I have travelled many times around the world. I have been elated by the successes of the UN in making life better for countless people. I have also been pained by scenes of its failures. In too many places I could feel the dismay over inaction of the UN or action that was too little or came too late. I am determined to dispel the disillusionment.

I earnestly hope that young boys and girls of today will grow up knowing that the UN is working hard to build a better future for them. As Secretary-General, I will embrace their hopes and hear their appeals. I am an optimist, and I am full of hope about the future of our global Organization. Let us work together for a United Nations that can deliver more and better.