UN Secretary-General appointed for second term
21 JUNE 2011 | NEW YORK - Ban Ki-moon, born in the Republic of Korea on 13 June 1944, is the eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Since his appointment to the position in January 2007, Mr Ban has worked tirelessly to give voice to the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people and has placed particular emphasis on improving the lives of women and children.
The Secretary-General pressed successfully for the creation of UN Women, a major new agency that consolidates the UN’s work in this area. His advocacy for women’s rights and gender equality has also included the “Unite to End Violence against Women” campaign, the “Stop Rape Now” initiative, the creation of a “Network of Men Leaders” and the establishment of a new Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict. Within the UN itself, the Secretary-General has increased the number of women in senior management positions by more than 40 per cent, reaching the highest level in the organization’s history.
Mr Ban also spearheaded the creation of the UN Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health, a concerted world‐wide effort to save the lives of more than 16 million women and children by 2015.
The United Nations General Assembly agreed on 21 June 2011 to appoint Ban Ki-moon to a second consecutive term as the Secretary-General of the 192-member organization. Under the resolution, which was adopted by acclamation, Mr Ban’s second term will run from 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2016.