Ban Ki-moon – The eighth Secretary General of the United Nations

Ban Ki-moon – The eighth Secretary General of the United Nations

In April 2019, Mr. Ban has been elected as the Chairman of Presidential National Council to deal with Particulate Matter. In April 2018, Mr. Ban has been elected as the Chairman of Boao Forum for Asia. Since January 2018, Mr. Ban, along with former President of Austria Mr. Heinz Fischer, has been inducted as Co-Chairs of the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens in Vienna, Austria. Mr. Ban Ki-moon has also been elected as Chairman of IOC Ethics Committee in September 2017. Currently, he is the Distinguished Chair Professor and Honorary Chairman at the Institute of Global Engagement & Empowerment at Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea. Since February 2018, he has been elected as the President of the Assembly & Chair of the Council of Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI).

Prior to such appointments, Mr. Ban has served two consecutive terms as the Secretary General of the United Nations (2007-2016).

Throughout his tenure at the UN, Mr. Ban strove to be a bridge builder, to give voice to the world’s poorest and the most vulnerable people, and to make the Organization more transparent and effective. He has pressed successfully for action to combat climate change- an effort that culminated in the adoption and rapid entry into force of the landmark Paris Agreement in 2016. Mr. Ban has worked closely with member states of the UN to shape the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to establish UN Women, which has been advancing the Organization’s work for gender equality and women’s empowerment. Mr. Ban has also taken major efforts to strengthen UN peace operations, to protect human rights, to improve humanitarian response, to prevent violent extremism and to revitalize disarmament agenda.

At the time of his appointment at the UN, Mr. Ban has been the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Republic of Korea. His 37 years with the Ministry includes postings in New Delhi, Washington D.C., and Vienna, and responsibilities for a variety of portfolios, which includes Foreign Policy Adviser to the President, Chief National Security Adviser to the President, Vice Minister, Deputy Minister for Policy Planning and Director-General for American Affairs. Mr. Ban has also been actively involved in issues relating to inter-Korean relations by serving as Chairman of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization.

Mr. Ban received a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Seoul National University in 1970. In 1985, he earned a master’s degree in public administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.