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118-520: UNDEF supports projects that strengthen the voice of civil society, promote human rights, and encourage the participation of all groups in democratic processes. The large majority of UNDEF funds go to local civil society organizations—both in the transition and consolidation phases of democratization. In this way, UNDEF plays a novel and unique role in complementing the UN's other, more traditional work—the work with Governments—to strengthen democratic governance around

236-481: A bachelor's degree in international relations . He subsequently went on to complete a Master of Public Administration degree at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in 1985. At Harvard, he studied under Joseph Nye , who remarked that Ban had "a rare combination of analytic clarity, humility and perseverance". In addition to his native Korean , Ban speaks English and French . According to

354-530: A South Korean working as an Arabic translator, was kidnapped and killed in Iraq by Islamic extremists ; and in December 2004 dozens of Koreans died in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami . Ban survived scrutiny from lawmakers and saw an upturn in his popularity when talks began with North Korea. Ban became actively involved in issues relating to North-South Korean relationships. In September 2005, as foreign minister , he played

472-557: A cease fire agreement, the international coalition of military forces would have no choice but to intervene to protect the human rights of Libyans. The Gaddafi government was eventually overthrown and Gaddafi killed in the conflict. Ban took the first foreign trip of his term to attend the African Union summit in Addis Ababa , Ethiopia, in January 2007 as part of an effort to reach out to

590-839: A former diplomat and director of the Centre for Democratic Institutions at Australian National University. For the UN, the importance of democracy and of democratic values was first highlighted in the United Nations Charter , as well as in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights . This in turn has been echoed in a variety of documents – declarations, conventions, covenants, most notably the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which contains binding obligations on States Parties in respect of elections, freedom of expression and association and assembly and other vital democratic entitlements. In

708-461: A greater voice for the poor. It also works at the macro level to reform trade, encourage debt relief and foreign investment, and ensure the poorest of the poor benefit from globalisation. The UNDP International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG) in Brasília, Brazil, expands the capacities of developing countries to design, implement and evaluate socially inclusive development projects. IPC-IG

826-515: A haemorrhaging wound in Darfur , unending violence in the Middle East, looming environmental disaster, escalating international terrorism, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction , the spread of HIV/AIDS . And then the more parochial concerns, such as the largely unfinished business of the most sweeping attempt at reform in the UN's history". Before starting, Kofi Annan shared the story that when

944-650: A highly rigorous and competitive selection process, as UNDEF receives an average of about 2,000-3,000 proposals a year and only some 50-60 are selected. UNDEF subsists entirely on voluntary contributions from Governments; in 2010, it surpassed US$ 110 million in cumulative contributions from 39 countries, including a wide range of non-traditional donor countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Contributions to UNDEF qualify as Official Development Assistance, and several donors choose to make multi-year commitments. The United States remain

1062-669: A leading role in the diplomatic efforts to adopt the Joint Statement on resolving the North Korean nuclear issue at the fourth round of the Six-party talks held in Beijing . As foreign minister, Ban oversaw the trade and aid policies of South Korea. This work put Ban in the position of signing trade deals and delivering foreign assistance to diplomats who would later be influential in his candidacy for secretary-general. For example, Ban became

1180-603: A retired UN official, "one of Ban's biggest handicaps was his lack of fluency in English, which made it difficult for him to win over audiences in the US and elsewhere." There have also been questions, however, regarding the extent of his knowledge of French, one of the two working languages of the United Nations Secretariat . After graduating from university, Ban received the top score on Korea's foreign service exam. He joined

1298-595: A second consecutive term as Secretary-General of the United Nations. He announced his candidacy at a press conference, following a meeting with the Asian group of countries at the United Nations. Ban Ki-moon's first mandate as the Secretary-General was set to end on 31 December 2011. The five permanent Security Council members supported his candidacy. There was no declared rival for the post. On 17 June 2011, he received

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1416-575: A speech before the UN General Assembly, Ban emphasized his concerns about global warming. Ban stated, "For my generation, coming of age at the height of the Cold War, fear of nuclear winter seemed the leading existential threat on the horizon. But the danger posed by war to all humanity—and to our planet—is at least matched by climate change " (referring to Global Warming , see P:GW portal). On 3 September 2009 he further emphasized his concerns at

1534-422: A strong, active and vocal civil society. It is such a civil society that fosters responsible citizenship and makes democratic forms of government work.” In 10 rounds of funding so far, UNDEF has supported over 600 projects in more than 100 countries. UNDEF projects are two years long and fall under one or more of seven main areas; UNDEF grants range from US$ 100,000 to US$ 300,000. Project proposals are subject to

1652-539: A target of this very scrutinizing process", and that he was "a man of integrity". In the final informal poll on 2 October, Ban received fourteen favourable votes and one abstention ("no opinion") from the fifteen members of the Security Council. The one abstention came from the Japanese delegation, who vehemently opposed the idea of a Korean taking the role of secretary-general. Due to the overwhelming support of Ban by

1770-619: A way for the United Nations to "do more for Iraqi social and political development". On his trip, Ban visited Egypt , Israel , the West Bank , Jordan , Lebanon and Saudi Arabia , where Ban attended a conference with leaders of the Arab League and met for several hours with Omar Hassan al-Bashir , the Sudanese president who had resisted UN peacekeepers in Darfur. While Ban met with Mahmoud Abbas ,

1888-533: Is Edmond Mulet of Guatemala. The appointments were part of Ban's commitment to replace top positions in his group for his second term. After beginning his second term in January 2012, Ban focused his public statements and speeches on peace and equality in the Middle East and on equality issues. The aftermath of the Libyan Civil War and other events of the Arab Spring continued to command Ban's attention with

2006-448: Is a global forum for South-South policy dialogue and learning, having worked with more than 7,000 officials from more than 50 countries. A 2013 evaluation of the UNDP's poverty reduction efforts states that the UNDP has effectively supported national efforts to reduce poverty, by helping governments make policy changes that benefit the poor. Nevertheless, the same evaluation also states there

2124-602: Is a strong need for better measurement and monitoring of the impacts of the UNDP's work. The UNDP's Strategic Plan from 2014 to 2017 incorporates the recommendations of this poverty evaluation. UNDP works to reduce the risk of armed conflicts or disasters, and promote early recovery after crisis have occurred. UNDP works through its country offices to support local government in needs assessment, capacity development, coordinated planning, and policy and standard setting. Examples of UNDP risk reduction programmes include efforts to control small arms proliferation , strategies to reduce

2242-624: Is appointed by the Secretary-General of the UN and confirmed by the General Assembly for a term of four years. Achim Steiner is the current Administrator. The five countries on the UNDP board have some influence over selection of the administrator. The first administrator of the UNDP was Paul G. Hoffman , former head of the Economic Cooperation Administration which administered the Marshall Plan . Other holders of

2360-515: Is the candidate that the Security Council will recommend to the General Assembly". On 9 October, the Security Council formally chose Ban as its nominee. In the public vote, he was supported by all 15 members of the council. On 13 October, the 192-member General Assembly acclaimed Ban as secretary-general. When Ban became secretary-general, The Economist listed the major challenges facing him in 2007: "rising nuclear demons in Iran and North Korea,

2478-520: Is the largest UN development aid agency, with offices in 177 countries. The UNDP is funded entirely by voluntary contributions from UN member states . The UNDP was founded on 22 November 1965 with the merging of the Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance (EPTA) and the Special Fund in 1958. The rationale was to "avoid duplication of [their] activities". The EPTA was set up in 1949 to help

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2596-659: The English language . In 1962, Ban won an essay contest sponsored by the Red Cross and earned a trip to the United States where he lived in San Francisco with a host family for several months. As part of the trip, Ban met U.S. President John F. Kennedy . When a journalist at the meeting asked Ban what he wanted to be when he grew up, he said, "I want to become a diplomat." Ban graduated from Seoul National University in 1970 with

2714-601: The Equator Prize to recognize outstanding indigenous community efforts to reduce poverty through the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, and thus making local contributions to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Between 1996 and 1998, the UNDP sponsored the deployment of 45 Multifunction Platforms (MFP) in rural Mali . These installations, driven by a diesel engine, power devices such as pumps, grain mills and appliances. By 2004,

2832-563: The Gaza Strip . He criticized both sides, Israel for bombarding Gaza and Hamas for firing rockets into Israel. Although the 2009 Iranian presidential election was widely disputed, Ban Ki-moon sent a traditional congratulation message to the Iranian president upon his inauguration. He kept silent over the request of Shirin Ebadi to visit Iran after the crackdown on peaceful post-election protests by

2950-625: The Global Center on Adaptation , which is taking forward the commission's work through its programs. He became the first major international diplomat to throw his weight behind the Green New Deal , a nascent effort by the progressive wing of the Democratic Party in the United States to zero out planet-warming emissions and end poverty over the next decade. Ban was born on 13 June 1944 in

3068-654: The Global Environment Facility (which funded the project) its "entire management fee" as "restitution" and proposed "ongoing efforts to achieve changes in the work culture that reward greater transparency and remove fears of unfair reprisals" aimed at whistleblowers. Concerns over UNDP's failure to handle the Russia controversy in a satisfactory manner led to the government of the Netherlands withholding some 10 million euros in funding in early 2021 . In February 2022,

3186-548: The Group of 77 . He repeatedly identified Darfur as the top humanitarian priority of his administration. Ban played a large role, with several face-to-face meetings with Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir , in convincing Sudan to allow UN peacekeepers to enter the Darfur region. On 31 July 2007, the United Nations Security Council approved sending 26,000 UN peacekeepers into the region to join 7,000 troops from

3304-564: The International Criminal Court and favoured an entirely non-confrontational approach to dealing with North Korea. Ban said during his campaign that he would like to visit North Korea in person to meet with Kim Jong Il directly. Ban was viewed as a stark contrast from Kofi Annan, who was considered charismatic, but perceived as a weak manager because of problems surrounding the UN's oil-for-food program in Iraq . Ban struggled to win

3422-699: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in May 1970 and worked his way up the career ladder during the years of the Yusin Constitution . Ban's first overseas posting was to New Delhi , India, where he served as vice consul and impressed many of his superiors in the foreign ministry with his competence. Ban reportedly accepted a posting to India rather than the United States, because in India he would be able to save more money to send to his family. In 1974 he received his first posting to

3540-650: The UN reaction. Ban Ki-moon however did not take any action to stop the violence in Iran. The Libyan Civil War began in 2011, the last year of Ban's first term, and dominated his attention and public statements that year. Throughout the conflict, he lobbied for peaceful solutions to the crisis. He frequently spoke out against military action in Libya, believing that a diplomatic solution would be possible and preferable. However, he conceded that if then-leader Muammar Gaddafi refused to abide by

3658-566: The UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), which stated that the secretariat under Ban's leadership was "drifting into irrelevance". In early January, Ban appointed the key members of his cabinet. As his Deputy Secretary-General , he selected Tanzanian foreign minister and professor Asha-Rose Migiro , a move that pleased African diplomats who had concerns about losing power without Annan in office. The top position devoted exclusively to management, Under-Secretary-General for Management,

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3776-753: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) placed democratic governance at the heart of its development cooperation programme, equipping itself with greater internal expertise in this area and channeling a substantial proportion of its core resources in this direction. Another significant development was the establishment in 1992 of the Electoral Assistance Division within the Department of Political Affairs. The links between international peace and security, sustainable human development and democratization were all embraced again by

3894-477: The death penalty imposed on Saddam Hussein by the Iraqi High Tribunal, remarking, "The issue of capital punishment is for each and every member State to decide". Ban's statements contradicted long-standing United Nations opposition to the death penalty as a human-rights concern. He quickly clarified his stance in the case of Barzan al-Tikriti and Awad al-Bandar , two top officials who were convicted of

4012-666: The 15 countries with a seat on the Security Council. Of the seven candidates, he topped each of the four straw polls conducted by the United Nations Security Council : on 24 July, 14 September, 28 September, and 2 October. During the period in which these polls took place, Ban made major speeches to the Asia Society and the Council on Foreign Relations in New York City . To be confirmed, Ban needed not only to win

4130-526: The 1990s, a period characterised by important changes in various parts of the world, democracy has also become a theme of a number of international conferences, and major UN organs, including the General Assembly , pronounced themselves on ways to strengthen democracy. This process was matched by increasing operational activities in support of democratisation processes by the UN System. In particular, in 2000

4248-517: The African Union. The resolution was heralded as a major breakthrough in confronting the Darfur conflict (although the United States labelled the conflict a " genocide ", the United Nations has declined to do so). The first phase of the peacekeeping mission began in October 2007. Ban Ki-moon flew to Myanmar on 25 May 2008 to guide a conference with international agencies aimed at boosting donations for

4366-683: The Assembly and Council, respectively, the two governance organs of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), a treaty-based international, inter-governmental organization dedicated to supporting and promoting environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive economic growth in developing countries and emerging economies. Since Ban's election as the President and Chair, GGGI's list of Member States has expanded from 27 to 48 Member Countries and Regional Integration Organizations. On 16 October 2018,

4484-821: The Department of Political Affairs, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Peacebuilding Support Office, the UN Development Programme, the UN Development Fund for Women and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. To ensure low overheads, the UNDEF office is managed by a small team of four professionals, led (since 2007) by Roland Rich of Australia,

4602-639: The Global Commission on Adaptation was launched with Ban as co-chair, together with Bill Gates and Kristalina Georgieva . The commission's mandate to accelerate adaptation by elevating the political visibility of adaptation and focusing on concrete solutions came to an end following its Year of Action in 2020, with its work showcased at the Climate Adaptation Summit hosted by the Netherlands on 25 January 2021. Ban currently serves as co-chair for

4720-621: The Innovation Facility has fostered innovation labs across all five regions to better deliver and monitor the SDGs . In 2015, the Innovation Facility invested in 62 initiatives across 45 countries to achieve 16 SDGs. Documents of Edward Snowden showed in December 2013 that British and American intelligence agencies surveillance targets with the United States National Security Agency (NSA) included organisations such as

4838-509: The Iranian leadership due to their statements regarding Israel's destruction and denying the Holocaust. On 16 August 2013, Ban Ki-moon admitted that the UN was biased against Israel, stating in a meeting with Israeli students that there was a biased attitude towards the Israeli people and Israeli government at the UN. He described this as "an unfortunate situation." A few days later, he backtracked on

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4956-482: The Iranian police, which was perceived as a crime against humanity . More than 4,000 people were arrested and nearly 70 were killed, some while being held in prison. In another incident, several prominent intellectuals, including Akbar Ganji , Hamid Dabashi and Noam Chomsky , went on a three-day hunger strike in front of the UN. The incident was followed by an official request by more than 200 intellectuals, human rights activists and reformist politicians in Iran for

5074-449: The New Zealand media. In January 2021, this independent report into the matter as requested by the donors was published, ' Systems and Silos '. This independent review found "irregularities" and concluded the project in question was not managed "either efficiently or effectively" by UNDP and that a number of individuals were able to 'game the relatively weak systems of governance and technical capacity.' It suggested UNDP consider returning to

5192-401: The Oslo Governance Centre, and the Singapore-based Global Centre for Public Service Excellence (GCPSE) that issues the "Raffles Review" email newsletter on developments in public administration research. UNDP plays a coordination role in the UN's activities in the field of development. This is mainly executed through its vice-chair role of the UN Development Group and integrator function, within

5310-420: The Palestinian president, he declined to meet with Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas . Ban Ki-moon criticized Israel on 10 March 2008 for planning to build housing units in a West Bank settlement , saying the decision conflicts with "Israel's obligation under the road map" for Middle East peace. During a meeting of the UN Security Council on Wednesday, 7 January 2009, Ban called for an immediate end to fighting in

5428-444: The Secretariat to the Group. The UNDG develops policies and procedures that allow member agencies to work together and analyse country issues, plan support strategies, implement support programmes, monitor results and advocate for change. The Resident Coordinator (RC) system coordinates all organizations of the United Nations system dealing with operational activities for development in the field. The RC system aims to bring together

5546-406: The South Korean embassy in Washington, D. C. Between these two assignments he served as Director-General for American Affairs in 1990–92. In 1992, he became Vice Chairman of the South-North Joint Nuclear Control Commission, following the adoption by South and North Korea of the Joint Declaration of the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula . From 1993 to 1994 Ban was Korea's deputy ambassador to

5664-1093: The Taliban , the UNDP took responsibility for funding most essential health services in the country, including the salaries of over 25,000 health care professionals. This was observed as being outside the organization's usual development activities, and was facilitated by special licencing by the United States government. As the poor are disproportionately affected by environmental degradation and lack of access to clean, affordable water, sanitation, and energy services, UNDP seeks to address environmental issues in order to improve developing countries' abilities to develop sustainably, increase human development and reduce poverty . UNDP's environmental strategy focuses on effective water governance including access to water supply and sanitation , access to sustainable energy services, Sustainable land management to combat desertification and land degradation , conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity , and policies to control emissions of harmful pollutants and ozone-depleting substances. UNDP's Equator Initiative office biennially offers

5782-494: The Top 100 Global Thinkers for his achievement of helping the Paris Agreement to be ratified and enforced less than a year after it was adopted. António Guterres was appointed by the General Assembly on 13 October 2016 to be the successor of Ban Ki-moon as he exited on 31 December 2016. He was widely considered to be a potential candidate for the 2017 South Korean presidential election , before announcing, on 1 February, that he would not be running. On 14 September 2017, Ban

5900-485: The U.S. ambassador to Indonesia, to become Under-Secretary-General for political affairs. Jean-Marie Guéhenno , a French diplomat, who had served as Under-Secretary-General for peacekeeping operations under Annan, remained in office. Ban selected Vijay K. Nambiar as his chief of staff. Nambiar later stepped down in 2012 and was replaced by Susana Malcorra of Argentina who served as chief of staff from April 2012 to November 2016. The appointment of many women to top jobs

6018-416: The UN , which reported on whistleblower cases across the UN system, including John O'Brien's case. It reported that O'Brien was fired from UNDP in March 2022 several days after his BBC interview. The documentary was described by The Guardian as exposing "a toxic culture" where senior UN leaders hide " behind a cloak of saintliness ". As of mid-2024, there has been zero accountability for the stealing or for

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6136-497: The UN drawing on the support and guidance of the entire UN family. It is now coordinated by the UNDG. The UNDP established the Innovation Facility in 2014, with support from the Government of Denmark , as a dedicated funding mechanism to nurture promising development interventions. The Innovation Facility offers technical assistance and seed funding to collaborators across 170 countries and territories to explore new approaches to complex development challenges. Since its inception,

6254-457: The UN peacekeeping operation into two departments and to combine the political affairs and disarmament department. His proposals were met with stiff resistance from members of the UN General Assembly who bristled at Ban's request for rapid approval. The proposed merger of the disarmament and political affairs offices was criticized by many in the developing world, partially because of rumours that Ban hoped to place American B. Lynn Pascoe in charge of

6372-406: The UN requiring that all positions be considered five-year appointments, all receive strict annual performance reviews, and all financial disclosures be made public. Though unpopular in the New York office, the move was popular in other UN offices around the world and lauded by UN observers. Ban's proposal to split the peacekeeping operation into one group handling operations and another handling arms

6490-618: The UNDP GEF Energy Efficiency Standards and Labels project in Russia with a budget of US$ 7.8 million, did not meet its goals and had "strong indicators of deliberate misappropriation" of funds. The Foreign Policy article reported that concerns raised by whistleblowers Dmitry Ershov and John O'Brien and multiple other consultants to the project over many years about irregularities in the programme — which were first reported internally as far back in 2011— were largely dismissed or ignored for several years by their superiors in Istanbul, New York, and Washington, as well as by donor governments, including

6608-537: The UNDP. In 2022, UNDP's budget was US$ 6,737.92 million. The following table lists the top 15 DAC 5 Digit Sectors to which UNDP has committed funding, as recorded in its International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) publications. The UNDP claims on the IATI Registry website that the data covers 100% of development flows. UNDP topped the Aid Transparency Index published by Publish What You Fund in 2015 and 2016, with an excellent score of 93.3%. UNDP links and coordinates global and national efforts to achieve

6726-412: The UNEG has 43 members and 3 observers. The UNDP runs six Global Policy Centres, including the Seoul Policy Centre (USPC) on partnerships, the Nairobi Global Policy Centre on Resilient Ecosystems and Desertification (GPC-Nairobi), the Singapore-based Global Centre for Technology, Innovation and Sustainable Development (GC-TISD), the Istanbul International Centre for Private Sector in Development (IICPSD),

6844-408: The US proposing and creating the International Development Association within the World Bank's umbrella, the EPTA and the Special Fund appeared to be conducting similar work. In 1962, the United Nations Economic and Social Council asked the Secretary-General to consider the merits and disadvantages of merging UN technical assistance programmes and in 1966, the EPTA and the Special Fund merged to form

6962-490: The United Nations Development Programme, the UN's children's charity UNICEF and Médecins Sans Frontières and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). In August 2016, Israel's Shin Bet security agency publicized the arrest of Wahid Abdallah al Bursh, a Palestinian engineer employed by the UNDP, stating he had confessed to being recruited in 2014 to help Hamas , the dominant Islamist group in Gaza. Among "various assignments" Bursh performed on behalf of Hamas

7080-418: The United Nations bureaucracy. On several prominent issues, such as proliferation in Iran and North Korea, Ban has deferred to the Security Council. In 2007, the Republic of Nauru raised the issue of allowing the Republic of China (Taiwan) to sign the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women . Ban referenced the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 , and refused

7198-413: The United Nations, as First Secretary of the South Permanent Observer Mission (South Korea became a full UN member-state on 17 September 1991). After Park Chung Hee 's 1979 assassination, Ban assumed the post of Director of the United Nations Division. In 1980, Ban became director of the United Nations' International Organizations and Treaties Bureau, headquartered in Seoul . He has been posted twice to

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7316-458: The United States for irregularities in its finances in North Korea. Artjon Shkurtaj claimed that he had found counterfeit US dollars in the programmes' safe despite staff being paid in euros. The UNDP denied keeping improper accounts and any other wrongdoing. In mid-2006, as first reported by Inner City Press and then by New Vision , UNDP halted its disarmament programmes in the Karamoja region of Uganda in response to human rights abuses in

7434-401: The United States, Ban was fired by President Kim Dae-jung , who also issued a public apology for Ban's statement. Ban was unemployed for the only time in his career and was expecting to receive an assignment to work in a remote and unimportant embassy. In 2001, during the 56th Session of the United Nations General Assembly , South Korea held the rotating presidency, and to Ban's surprise, he

7552-412: The United States. He was promoted to the position of Deputy Minister for Policy Planning and International Organizations in 1995 and then appointed National Security Advisor to the President in 1996. Ban's lengthy career overseas has been credited with helping him avoid South Korea's unforgiving political environment. Ban was appointed Ambassador to Austria and Slovenia in 1998, and a year later he

7670-422: The United States. The Foreign Policy article reported that a 2017 confidential audit appendix prepared by final evaluators found "strong indicators of deliberate misappropriation" of millions of dollars in funds from the project between 2010 and 2014. This led in March 2020 to 12 donor governments writing a letter to UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner demanding from UNDP an independent review of UNDP's handling of

7788-434: The World Climate Conference in Geneva, when he stated, "Our foot is stuck on the accelerator and we are heading towards an abyss". In September 2014, Ban joined demonstrators in the People's Climate March in New York City, and also called together world leaders for the UN Climate Summit, in preparation for the United Nations Climate Change Conference to be held in Paris in late 2015. On Thursday, 22 March 2007, while Ban

7906-404: The annual Human Development Index . The Gender Inequality Index is one such topic discussed in the Human Development Report. The UNDP spends about 0.2% of its budget on internal evaluation of the effectiveness of its programmes. The UNDP's Evaluation Office is a member of the UN Evaluation Group (UNEG) which brings together all the units responsible for evaluation in the UN system. Currently

8024-521: The approval of France. His official biography states that he speaks both English and French , the two working languages of the UN Secretariat. However, he has repeatedly struggled to answer questions in French from journalists. Ban has repeatedly acknowledged his limitations at French, but assured French diplomats that he was devoted to continuing his study. At a press conference on 11 January 2007, Ban remarked, "My French perhaps could be improved, and I am continuing to work. I have taken French lessons over

8142-460: The broader the Resident Coordinator System. The United Nations Development Group (UNDG) was created by the Secretary-General in 1997, to improve the effectiveness of UN development at the country level. The UNDG brings together the operational agencies working on development. The Group is chaired by the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, with the Administrator of UNDP serving as vice-chair. UN Development Coordination Office (DCO) provides

8260-403: The campaign's front-runner. On 13 October 2006, Ban was elected as the eighth secretary-general by the United Nations General Assembly . On 1 January 2007, he succeeded Kofi Annan . As secretary-general, he was responsible for several major reforms on peacekeeping and UN employment practices around the world. Diplomatically, Ban has taken particularly strong views on global warming , pressing

8378-435: The chair of the board. Since 2007, the chair has been Professor Michael Doyle of Columbia University, a former UN assistant secretary-general for policy planning under secretary-General Kofi Annan. All members serve for a two-year term. Within the UN Secretariat, the UNDEF Programme Consultative Group serves as UN inter-agency mechanism that provides expert advice, including on recommendations for project selection. It comprises

8496-414: The corruption problems at UNDP and the failure to protect whistleblowers remain, and have not been fixed. The Guardian Newspaper article reveals very similar themes of widespread kickbacks and corruption, staff who are scared to report wrongdoing, and almost no protection for whistleblowers who are scared to come forward in case they are retaliated against and/or lose their jobs. The UNDP Administrator has

8614-602: The cover up of corruption among senior officials at UNDP. The only two persons at UNDP who lost their job after years and years of alleged UNDP corruption and cover up were the two whistleblowers. In on 22 January 2024, the Guardian Newspaper reported here that the US$ 1.88 billion funding facility for stabilization was riddled with corruption. The Guardian discovered that there had been some 136 corruption allegation cases to its Office of Audit and Investigations (OAI) in relation to

8732-514: The death penalty". On the tenth anniversary of Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot 's death, 15 April 2008, Ban Ki-moon appealed for the senior leaders of the regime to be brought to justice. The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia -tribunal, which was established by both the United Nations and Cambodia and which became operational in 2006 , is responsible for prosecuting the aforementioned senior leaders. Ban has received strong criticism from

8850-612: The deaths of 148 Shia Muslims in the Iraqi village of Dujail in the 1980s. In a statement through his spokesperson on 6 January, he "strongly urged the Government of Iraq to grant a stay of execution to those whose death sentences may be carried out in the near future". On the broader issue, he told a Washington, D.C. audience on 16 January 2007 that he recognized and encouraged the "growing trend in international society, international law and domestic policies and practices to phase out eventually

8968-405: The different UN agencies to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of operational activities at the country level. Resident Coordinators lead UN country teams in more than 130 countries and are the designated representatives of the Secretary-General for development operations. Working closely with national governments, Resident Coordinators and country teams to advocate the interests and mandates of

9086-555: The economic and political aspects of underdeveloped countries while the Special Fund was to enlarge the scope of UN technical assistance. The Special Fund arose from the idea of a Special United Nations Fund for Economic Development (SUNFED) (which was initially called the United Nations Fund for Economic Development (UNFED). Countries such as the Nordic countries were proponents of such a United Nations (UN) controlled fund. However,

9204-589: The energy efficiency standards and labels project in Russia, as reported again in Foreign Policy magazine in December 2020 where it was revealed that these donors had blasted UNDP for resisting appeals to fight corruption and further reports by the Financial Times about the 'systemic nature' of the problems and also reports by various other media outlets such as Climate Change News , Passblue and in Newsroom in

9322-491: The family lost its middle-class standard of living. When Ban was six, his family fled to a remote mountainside for much of the Korean War . After the war ended, his family returned to Chungju . Ban has said that, during this time, he met American soldiers. During his secondary school education at Chungju High School , Ban was part of the local Scout movement while he also became a star student, particularly in his studies of

9440-405: The first Secretary-General Trygve Lie left office, he told his successor, Dag Hammarskjöld , "You are about to take over the most impossible job on earth". On 23 January 2007, Ban took office as the eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations. Ban's term as Secretary-General opened with a flap. At his first encounter with the press as Secretary-General on 2 January 2007, he refused to condemn

9558-555: The first senior South Korean minister to travel to the Republic of the Congo since its independence in 1960. In February 2006, Ban declared his candidacy to replace Kofi Annan as UN Secretary-General at the end of 2006, becoming the first South Korean to run for the office. Though Ban was the first to announce a candidacy, he was not originally considered a serious contender. Over the next eight months, Ban made ministerial visits to each of

9676-589: The fund was opposed by other developed countries, especially by the United States, which were wary of the Third World dominating such funding and preferred it to be under the auspices of the World Bank . The concept of SUNFED was dropped to form the Special Fund. This Special Fund was a compromise over the SUNFED concept: it did not provide investment capital but only helped to bring pre-conditions for private investment. With

9794-676: The goals and national development priorities laid out by host countries. UNDP focuses primarily on five developmental challenges: UNDP supports national democratic transitions by providing policy advice and technical support, improving institutional and individual capacity within countries, educating populations about and advocating for democratic reforms, promoting negotiation and dialogue, and sharing successful experiences from other countries and locations. UNDP helps countries develop strategies to combat poverty by expanding access to economic opportunities and resources, linking poverty programmes with countries' larger goals and policies, and ensuring

9912-445: The impact of natural disasters, and programmes to encourage use of diplomacy and prevent violence. Recovery programmes include disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of ex-combatants, demining efforts, programmes to reintegrate displaced persons, restoration of basic services, and transitional justice systems for countries recovering from warfare. Following the suspension of most foreign aid to Afghanistan due to its takeover by

10030-425: The independent review on the failure by UNDP to carry out John O'Brien's whistleblower case in a satisfactory manner. According to the 2019 Foreign Policy article, Ershov claimed he was "pushed out of his U.N. job" after raising concerns about procurement irregularities and project conflicts of interest way back at the end of 2014. In June 2022, BBC Two broadcast a 90-minute documentary, The Whistleblowers: Inside

10148-573: The international community with the unanimous adoption of the United Nations Millennium Declaration at the Millennium Summit in 2000. Ban Ki-moon Ban Ki-moon ( Korean :  반기문 ; [pan.ɡi.mun] ; born 13 June 1944) is a South Korean politician and diplomat who served as the eighth secretary-general of the United Nations between 2007 and 2016. Prior to his appointment as secretary-general, Ban

10266-544: The issue repeatedly with U.S. President George W. Bush , and on the Darfur conflict , where he helped persuade Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir to allow peacekeeping troops to enter Sudan . Ban was named the world's 32nd most powerful person by the Forbes list of The World's Most Powerful People in 2013, the highest among South Koreans. In 2014, he was named the third most powerful South Korean after Lee Kun-hee and Lee Jae-yong . In 2016, Foreign Policy named Ban one of

10384-713: The largest donor. As a secretary-General's Trust Fund located within the UN Secretariat, UNDEF falls under the direct authority of the UN Secretary-General. The secretary-general is guided by the UNDEF Advisory Board, which consists of the seven biggest UNDEF donor countries—as of 2010, the United States, India, Japan, Qatar, Germany, Australia and Spain; six States from different regions, chosen for their proven commitment to democracy; two representatives of civil society organizations; and three individuals, including

10502-609: The last few months. I think that, even if my French isn't perfect, I will continue to study it." As the secretary-general election drew closer, there was rising criticism of the South Korean campaign on Ban's behalf. Specifically, his alleged practice of systematically visiting all member states of the Security Council in his role as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade to secure votes in his support by signing trade deals with European countries and pledging aid to developing countries

10620-562: The leaders of three leading NGOs in the fight against corruption, Transparency International , the Whistleblower International Network or WIN , and the Government Accountability Project wrote a public letter to UNDP's administrator Achim Steiner , expressing their serious concerns about the lack of whistleblower protection for John O'Brien and Dmitry Ershov by UNDP and highlighting the conclusion of

10738-528: The most suitable finance solutions to achieve national biodiversity targets. UNDP works to help countries prevent further spreading of and reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS , convening The Global Commission on HIV and the Law which was reported in 2012. Major programmes underway are: Since 1991, the UNDP has annually published the Human Development Report , which includes topics on Human Development and

10856-462: The motion. On 19 July 2007, Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian wrote to request admission into the UN by the name Taiwan. Ban rejected the request, stating that Resolution 2758 defined Taiwan as part of China. Ban early on identified global warming as one of the key issues of his administration. In a White House meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush in January, Ban urged Bush to take steps to curb greenhouse gas emissions . On 1 March 2007 in

10974-545: The nation, which was struck by Cyclone Nargis on 2 May 2008. The conference was initiated after Ban had met with Than Shwe , the leading figure of Myanmar's government 23 May 2008. Ban toured the devastation—especially in the hard-hit Irrawaddy Delta —23 May 2008 and 24 May 2008. Myanmar officials agreed to allow the Yangon International Airport to be used as a logistical hub for aid distribution. On 6 June 2011, Ban Ki-moon formally announced his candidacy for

11092-434: The new office. Alejandro D. Wolff , then acting American ambassador, said the United States backed his proposals. After the early bout of reproach, Ban began extensive consultation with UN ambassadors, agreeing to have his peacekeeping proposal extensively vetted. After the consultations, Ban dropped his proposal to combine political affairs and disarmament. Ban nevertheless pressed ahead with reforms on job requirements at

11210-595: The number of MFPs in Mali reached 500. In 2012 the Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) was established. BIOFIN brings 30 countries together to develop and implement evidence-based finance plans to safeguard biodiversity. BIOFIN has developed an innovative and adaptable methodology to guide countries to analyze the policy and institutional context for biodiversity finance; measure the current biodiversity expenditures; assess future financial needs, and identify

11328-553: The parallel forcible disarmament programmes carried out by the Uganda People's Defence Force . In 2019, reports alleging possible misappropriation of funds for UNDP projects in Russia began to appear in the mainstream media. An article called "Greed and Graft at U.N. Climate Program" in August 2019 in Foreign Policy reported the findings of a 2017 final evaluation that a UNDP Global Environment Facility greenhouse gas reduction project,

11446-445: The position have included: Bradford Morse , a former Republican congressman from the U.S. state of Massachusetts; William Draper , an American venture capitalist and friend of George H. W. Bush who saw one of the UN system's major achievements, the Human Development Report , introduced during his tenure; Mark Malloch Brown of the UK, who was previously Vice President of External Affairs at

11564-626: The rank of an Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations . While the Administrator is often referred to as the third highest-ranking official in the UN (after the Secretary-General and Deputy Secretary-General ), this has never been formally codified. In addition to his/her responsibilities as head of UNDP, the Administrator is also the vice-chair of the UN Sustainable Development Group . The position of Administrator

11682-484: The recommendation of the Security Council by a unanimous vote, and, on 21 June, his nomination was confirmed by a unanimous acclamation vote at the United Nations General Assembly . His new five-year term as Secretary-General commenced on 1 January 2012 and ended on 31 December 2016. Ban appointed Swedish diplomat Jan Eliasson as his new Deputy Secretary-General on 2 March 2012. His Chief of Staff

11800-513: The reconstruction programme – the majority of which were against suppliers rather than employees. Then on 5 February 2024, the Guardian Newspaper reported here that UNDP had commissioned an internal management review of the Iraq corruption problems. It also reported that several donors had requested an independent review which exactly is what happened in the case of the UNDP GEF Russia corruption scandal. The Guardian articles clearly show that

11918-461: The rest of the Security Council, Japan later voted in favor of Ban to avoid controversy. More importantly, Ban was the only one to escape a veto; each of the other candidates received at least one "no" vote from among the five permanent members. After the vote, Shashi Tharoor, who finished second, withdrew his candidacy and China's Permanent Representative to the UN told reporters that "it is quite clear from today's straw poll that Minister Ban Ki-moon

12036-500: The small farming village of Haengchi, Wonnam Township ( -myeon ), in Insei , Chūseihoku-dō , Korea, Empire of Japan (now North Chungcheong Province , South Korea). He is of the Gwangju Ban clan  [ ko ] . His family then moved to the nearby town of Chungju , where he grew up. During Ban's childhood, his father had a warehouse business, but the warehouse went bankrupt and

12154-568: The start of his second term. He focused in 2012 on what he termed "intolerance" in the Arab world. After travelling to Vienna to participate in the opening of the KAICIID Dialogue Centre to foster interreligious dialogue, Ban commented, "Many countries in the Arab world including Saudi Arabia are changing. Since the Arab Spring, the leaders have begun to listen to the voice of their people." He

12272-620: The support of the diplomatic community, but also to be able to avoid a veto from any of the five permanent members of the council: People's Republic of China , France , Russia , the United Kingdom , and the United States . Ban was popular in Washington for having pushed to send South Korean troops to Iraq, and had the support of the Bush administration as he pursued the position. But Ban also opposed several U.S. positions: he expressed his support for

12390-409: The transition and consolidation phases of democratization. In this way, UNDEF plays a novel and distinct role in complementing the UN's more traditional work—the work with Governments – to strengthen democratic governance around the world. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said that UNDEF's focus “recognizes a fundamental truth about democracy everywhere -- that it is ultimately the product of

12508-648: The utterance. During an interview on 16 December 2016, Ban said that the UN has issued a "disproportionate volume of resolutions, reports and conferences criticizing Israel." United Nations Development Programme The United Nations Development Programme ( UNDP ) is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human development . The UNDP emphasizes on developing local capacity towards long-term self-sufficiency and prosperity. Based at United Nations Headquarters in New York City, it

12626-521: The world. UNDEF subsists entirely on voluntary contributions from Governments; in 2015, it reached almost 170 million dollars in contributions and counts more than 40 countries as donors, including many middle- and low-income States in Africa, Asia and Latin America. UNDEF supports projects that strengthen the voice of civil society, promote human rights, and encourage the participation of all groups in democratic processes. The large majority of UNDEF funds go to local civil society organizations – both in

12744-464: Was "using UNDP resources" to build a maritime jetty for its fighters; no further details were provided on this claim. Shin Bet also claimed Bursh had persuaded his UNDP superiors to prioritize neighbourhoods with Hamas operatives when earmarking reconstruction funds for Gaza, which was devastated by the 2014 war with Israel . The UNDP had been criticised by members of its staff and the Bush administration of

12862-637: Was also elected as Chairman of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO PrepCom). During the negotiations, in what Ban considers the biggest blunder of his career, he included in a public letter a positive statement about the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in 2001, not long after the United States had decided to abandon the treaty. To avoid anger from

12980-623: Was elected chair of the International Olympic Committee 's Ethics Commission. Also in 2017, Ban co-founded the nonprofit Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens. He also currently serves as the Distinguished Chair Professor at Yonsei University 's Institute for Global Engagement and Empowerment. On 20 February 2018, Ban was unanimously elected as the President of the Assembly and Chair of the Council by all members of

13098-717: Was filled by Alicia Bárcena Ibarra of Mexico. Bárcena was considered a UN insider, having previously served as Annan's chief of staff. Her appointment was seen by critics as an indication that Ban would not make dramatic changes to UN bureaucracy. Ban appointed Sir John Holmes , the British Ambassador to France, as Under-Secretary-General for humanitarian affairs and coordinator of emergency relief . Ban initially said that he would delay making other appointments until his first round of reforms were approved, yet later abandoned this idea after receiving criticism. In February he continued with appointments, selecting B. Lynn Pascoe ,

13216-519: Was finally adopted in mid-March 2007. The Secretary-General of the United Nations has the ability to influence debate on nearly any global issue. Although unsuccessful in some areas, Ban's predecessor Annan had been successful in increasing the UN peacekeeping presence and in popularizing the Millennium Development Goals . UN observers were eager to see on which issues Ban intended to focus, in addition to his declared interest in reforming

13334-561: Was however criticised in the Austrian press for associating himself with a project of Saudi King Abdullah , Saudi Arabia being a location of perceived religious intolerance. Throughout 2012, Ban expressed his concern about the continuing Israeli–Palestinian conflict , in particular the condition of the Palestinian hunger strikers in Israeli prisons and the movement restrictions imposed on Gaza Strip residents. On 30 August 2012 Ban criticized

13452-458: Was seen as fulfilling a campaign promise Ban had made to increase the role of women in the United Nations. During Ban's first year as secretary-general, more top jobs were being handled by women than ever before. Though not appointed by Ban, the president of the General Assembly, Haya Rashed Al-Khalifa , is only the third woman to hold this position in United Nations history. During his first month in office, Ban proposed two major reforms: to split

13570-446: Was selected to be the chief of staff to general assembly president Han Seung-soo . In 2003, incoming president Roh Moo-hyun selected Ban as one of his foreign policy advisors. In 2004, Ban replaced the resigning Yoon Young-kwan as foreign minister of South Korea under president Roh Moo-hyun . At the beginning of his term, Ban was faced with two major crises: in June 2004 Kim Sun-il ,

13688-519: Was taking part in the first stop of a tour of the Middle East, a mortar attack hit just 80 meters (260 ft) from where the Secretary-General was standing, interrupting a press conference in Baghdad 's Green Zone , and visibly shaking Ban and others. No one was hurt in the incident. The United Nations had already limited its role in Iraq after its Baghdad headquarters was bombed in August 2003, killing 22 people. Ban said, however, that he still hoped to find

13806-519: Was the South Korean minister of foreign affairs and trade between 2004 and 2006. Ban was initially considered to be a long shot for the office of Secretary-General of the United Nations; he began to campaign for the office in February 2006. As the foreign minister of South Korea, he was able to travel to all the countries on the United Nations Security Council , a manoeuvre that subsequently turned him into

13924-400: Was the focus of many news articles. According to The Washington Post , "rivals have privately grumbled that Republic of Korea, which has the world's 11th-largest economy, has wielded its economic might to generate support for his candidacy". Ban reportedly said that these insinuations were "groundless". In an interview on 17 September 2006 he stated: "As front-runner, I know that I can become

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