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Author : V. Churkin
Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations
ON DECEMBER 31, 2016, Ban Ki-moon will end his
term as the eighth UN secretary general, spending two
terms at the organization's helm - a total of 10 years. It
so happens that I have observed his work all these years,
closely interacting with the secretary general by virtue of
our country's status as a permanent member of the UN
Security Council, bearing a special responsibility for the
maintenance of international peace and security. This ar-
ticle is about Ban Ki-moon's initiatives and reforms, as
well as their results, which he is leaving to his successor, Portugal's Antonio Guterres.
Summing up the results of Ban Ki-moon's term of office as UN secretary general, it should be rec-
ognized that on the whole, he has proven himself as a competent politician and administrator who
has managed to preserve the UN's central coordinating role in global affairs despite the emergence
of acute threats and challenges.
A new stage in dealing with climate change began as the Paris Climate Agreement, a document into
which the secretary general invested a lot of personal effort, came into effect. The political decla-
rations on HIV/AIDS and on antimicrobial resistance, issued during Ban Ki-moon's term in office,
are designed to provide an effective response to the proliferating crises in the public healthcare sys-
tem. The World Humanitarian Summit stands alone in this context. Needless to say, time and in-
tensive efforts will be required for the ideas and initiatives that were put forward at the summit to
acquire a clear outline for all and to receive a consensus in the form of intergovernmental deci-
sions.
The universal character of the General Assembly and the role of the Security Council as the main
body responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security predetermine their key
position in the international antiterrorist architecture. The functions of the Security Council and
agencies accountable to it include, in particular, the formulation of obligations for states, the mon-
itoring of their fulfillment, and the use of targeted sanctions against terrorists and their accessories.
The role of the secretary general in the counterterrorism area is also quite significant. After all, the
Secretariat is entrusted with wide-ranging tasks in helping states build up their counterterrorism ca-
pabilities through technical assistance programs, exchange of practice and experience, and so on.
Ban Ki-moon is leaving the newly appointed, ninth secretary general Antonio Guterres a compli-
cated legacy. To successfully fulfill his mandate, the secretary general needs, above all, to follow the
standard of behavior with regard to an international civil servant, primarily impartiality, objectivity,
independence, and the willingness to take into account the entire spectrum of member states' po-
sitions. For their part, the latter need political will to reach compromises.
http://interaffairs.ru
Ban Ki-moon's Legacy and Global Issues