With words of welcome and support the United Nations General Assembly appointed Ban Ki-moon, foreign minister of the Republic of Korea, to its highest post. Regional representatives spoke in turn, welcoming the newly selected Secretary-General. All expressed praise for Mr. Ban’s previous accomplishments and hope for his future tenure at the UN’s helm.
Secretary-General Kofi Annan also addressed his successor, extending him warm congratulations. “Mr. Ban, I think everyone here recognizes the depth of your experience, the breadth of your connections, and your ability to cooperate effectively at the highest levels”, he said. “As you ready yourself to take over, I wish you both strength and courage.”
The outgoing Secretary-General, like many regional representatives, noted that Mr. Ban is an especially timely choice. Hopes are high in the United Nations that he may prove particularly adept at handling delicate issues on the Korean peninsula.
Representatives raised issues ranging from the urgency of development campaigns to the reform of the United Nations itself, and said they were eager to work with Mr. Ban on each. The man is known to have a “peaceful, resolute temperament”, according to one representative, and will continue to set a tone of quiet determination at the United Nations.
The representatives also addressed Secretary-General Kofi Annan with gratitude. The appointment comes more than two months before Mr. Annan is slated to retire, on 31 December.
In the words of one of his own predecessors, former Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld, Mr. Annan told his successor with a smile, “ ‘You are about to take over the most impossible job on Earth.’ While that may be true, I would add: this is also the best possible job on Earth.”
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