Leader of the Nations (3/3)

The U.N.'s new secretary-general hopes to usher in a new era

A new day-a new way
The new secretary-general would probably do well do stress the administrative side of his job title, according to Edward Luck, a Columbia University international affairs professor.

"He needs to do what he can do heal the rifts among the member states," said Luck. "That probably requires a low profile."

At his swearing-in ceremony, Ban indicated he agreed with that advice, saying that "loyalty, discretion, conscience," words drawn from the oath of office, would be "my watchwords."

"My mission could be dubbed ‘Operation Restore Trust'-trust in the organization and trust between member states and the secretariat," he told reporters later. "I hope this mission is not ‘Mission Impossible.'"

Crises on many fronts
In January, Ban Ki-moon made clear in a speech in Washington that he recognized the world of challenges he inherited as the United Nations' new secretary-general.

He has plenty of intellect for the job, and some political skills. But it will take more than those qualities to turn the U.N. into an effective player on the most critical international problems.

Positive first steps
An internal challenge for Ban will be further reforming the U.N.'s bureaucracy by making operations more transparent and U.N. employees more accountable for their actions. Ban took a good first step toward greater transparency by saying he will publicly release his financial disclosure statement.

"We can build a new golden era for the United Nations," Ban said, "if we work collectively to make it so.""

Vocabulary Focus

rift (n) ---a serious disagreement that separates two peoplw who have been friends and stops their friendship continuing

low profile (n phr) ---a type of behavior in which a person deliberately seeks to avoid attention or publicity

Specialized Terms

member states (n phr) ---联合国会员国self-governing nations that have been granted membership into the U.N., and have the right to participate in U.N. decision-making processes