IHT publishes GPPi op-ed on new UN Secretary-General

On October 5, the International Herald Tribune published a comment by GPPi Associate Director Thorsten Benner on the challenges facing the incoming UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon. The piece argues that Ki-Moon should focus on leading and reforming the ailing UN Secretariat while at the same time advancing the UN’s work on peace and security, human rights and sustainable development.

The article argues that Ban is right on target when asserting that the ​”strategic focus should be more on achieving the goals already set rather than identifying new frontiers to conquer.” In this spirit, the new UN Secretary-General should confront all those who want to put the Millennium Development Goals back into the drawer rather than making them the cornerstone of the UN’s efforts in the coming decade. At the same time, Ban should continue Annan’s successful policy of enlisting the support of business and civil society to promote sustainable development through the Global Compact and other public-private partnerships.