16 July 2007: United Nations -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon briefed a packed room of reporters on Monday. He covered a variety of topics, ranging from Darfur to his image as a leader to North Korea and the Middle East. He had just returned from a previously unannounced visit to Kabul, Afghanistan, where he met with President Karzai to discuss the upsurge of violence in the war-ravaged state.

 

“We spoke about the appalling casualties among civilian populations, and the need to act forcefully to address the pandemic problem of corruption at so many levels of government and society,” said Ban.

He also touched upon Pakistan. “I am especially concerned about the situation in Pakistan and the loss of life and destruction over the past week. I condemn the terrorist attacks over the weekend that have claimed the lives of a large number of security forces and innocent civilians. President Musharraf had taken a strong stand against extremism, I am conscious that the Government faces a delicate balance in ensuring the safety of its citizens.”

He also covered the violent, fragile situation in Darfur.

“Last month, as you know, the government of Sudan accepted—unconditionally—the deployment of an AU-UN peacekeeping operation, a hybrid operation. The Security Council has before it a draft resolution authorizing this force,” said Ban. “I sincerely hope that the Security Council will take the necessary action within this week, which will allow more than 20,000 military personnel and civilian police. The resolution calls on Member States to finalize their contributions in 90 days. I think this is fast, by UN standards. But I want to move more rapidly. The political situation on the ground is too fragile, the humanitarian crisis too dire, to waste more precious time.”

“Working with many partners, chief among them, the African Union, we must start preparing the ground for our peacekeepers immediately. The Chinese government will soon send a contingent of military engineers to Darfur, where they will begin the essential communications and logistical work that must precede the mission. In fact, the preliminary reconnaissance group leaves for Sudan tomorrow, July 17.”

“We will push no less hard on the political front,” said Ban. “I have just received [a call] this morning from my Special Envoy Mr. Eliasson, who co-chaired a successful first round of talks yesterday and today in Tripoli, Libya. Our intention is to step up the pace of political negotiations involving all parties—rebel leaders, tribal leaders, government leaders. The goal is to get them around a table by early September. Above all, we must remember that a peacekeeping force is only a first step. It must be accompanied by an enduring political agreement.”

When asked about Iraq and his predecessor’s labeling of the war “illegal,” he referred back to the International Compact for Iraq. The Compact is meant to spur development and reconstruction in the war-stricken country.

Ban said, “the international community, the United Nations, the whole international community should help (the) Iraqi people and government so that they can overcome this difficulty as soon as possible. Great caution should be taken for the sake of Iraqi people,” he said. “The international community cannot and should not abandon them. Any abrupt withdrawal or decision may lead to a further deterioration of the situation in Iraq.” He is due to meet with President Bush on July 17; one presumed topic is the Iraq war.
This week, inspectors from IAEA entered North Korea to confirm that it had, in fact, shut down its plutonium-producing reactor. Ban said, “this is welcome. As Secretary-General of the United Nations, and as a former foreign minister of the Republic of Korea, I encourage the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and other parties to continue to implement their commitments to realize the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula as soon as possible.”
One reporter asked about Ban’s image as a “faceless” leader. He replied quietly, saying that his critics are “unfair” to judge him on initial appearances.
“As high public official, I know that I need to be scrutinized [for] leadership, life, and behavior. When it comes to those particular journalistic criticisms, I would like to say it’s unfair. On some allegations they are false. They are not true. There are some points that there are too many Koreans running [the] organization and on the 38th floor. As any previous Secretary-General, I have brought with me a few Korean officials, but there is only one senior Korean policy adviser. I don’t believe this organization is run by one or two person. Therefore, I would like to be open to constructive criticism raised by journalists, Member States, and the Secretariat, but hope there would be some deeper appreciation and understanding of myself as well as Member States.”

”It may be an insult to Secretariat staff if you believe that [the] UN is just run by one or two Koreans. I’d like to appeal that you’d have some sympathy and kinder understanding of that. I am the ‘middle of road man,’ as taught by Confucius... If you want to know more about me, I would hope you would study my background and character, not just casual remarks in the corridor—that’s unfair,” said Ban.

“I will continue to devote myself to matters concerning the Middle East, Kosovo, UN reform, and the Millennium Development Goals,” said Ban. The Secretary-General will be at the White House on July 17. The Security Council will hold consultations on Afghanistan that same day.