Resolved, by Ban Ki-moon (preface)

Preface

War and peace—these are the guiding words of the United Nations and also the defining experiences of my formative years. War—the Korean War broke out in 1950 when I was just six years old. Peace—the United Nations was our savior, bringing peace to a divided nation. The images of bombs raining down on my village will forever be seared in my memory. But so is the sight of the United Nations flag flying high, signaling that we were not alone. As long as that blue banner waved, we would be safe. I will never forget the hope that this flag engendered decades before I came to head the United Nations and serve the organization that saved me and my country from ruin.

My devotion to the United Nations was reinforced when I was just twelve years old. I sent a letter, on behalf of my classmates, to then SecretaryGeneral Dag Hammarskjöld, urging him to help the young people in Hungary who were fighting for freedom from the Soviet Union. I could never have predicted that the young boy who sent this appeal to the UN secretarygeneral would, fifty years later, walk in his shoes.

Having grown up surviving on UNICEF provisions and learning from UNESCO textbooks in the rubble of war, I can think of no greater honor than the privilege of serving as the United Nations secretary-general. When I was elected in October 2006, I pledged to exert my best efforts to create a better world for all people. I leave it to future historians to judge my efforts, but I take comfort in the knowledge that I have done everything I could to be a voice for the voiceless and a defender for the defenseless. I was one of

2 P R E FA C E

them—and I know from experience that international solidarity is a matter of life and death. It saved my country, and I will never stop believing that it can save our world.

Even today we hear the cries of many millions of refugees, the painful images of boys and girls helplessly seeking assistance, the plight of widows struggling against oppression to find a bit of food for their children—all this suffering still keeps me awake at night. That is why I keep pointing out the urgent need for world leaders’ political will along with a readiness to partner with others. And I continue to stress that this effort must be guided by an enhanced sense of our common humanity rather than a belief in barriers and barbed wire.

Today I am more concerned than ever about the divisions among countries, the dangerous rhetoric of hate spewing from some world leaders, and the threats to multilateralism. Some countries are balking at their commitments under UN-sponsored accords such as the Paris Climate Agreement, while others struggle with human rights.

As secretary-general, I was in constant contact with political, business, and civil society leaders—around the clock and around the world. I was guided by my strong conviction that open-minded and compassionate approaches with those concerned would help me steer through the turbulence of international politics. I tried to show respect and humility in my dealings with counterparts. Unfortunately, this was sometimes misunderstood as weakness. My guiding approach was to be flexible but strong like water, which can flow steadily around obstacles at times and have a fierce impact at other times. I believe that speaking is a revelation of knowledge, and listening is a source of wisdom. One of the greatest sources of conflict in today’s world is the lack of understanding and appreciation among different cultures, countries, and regions.

Many others will judge my tenure, but I am proud that 2015 will go down in history as the year the United Nations delivered two of the most ambitious visions for the world’s people: the Paris Climate Agreement and the 2030 Agenda with seventeen Sustainable Development Goals. On those two occasions, I heard the thunderous applause of world leaders inspired by their unity in the face of major threats facing humanity. Those standing ovations were proof that leaders at odds with one another can transcend their differences for the greater good.

I hoped that the sense of unity embodied by those two moments could last forever. But five years later, it’s clear that we need to redouble our efforts with input from businesses, civil society, and ordinary citizens to make progress

3 P R E FA C E

on both goals. I watched in sadness as the global recession and the coronavirus reversed much of our progress against poverty. Every region of the world is suffering from the irrefutable evidence of the climate crisis, yet we are not slashing carbon emissions with an urgency equal to the threat. In addition to achieving these two landmark goals, I devoted my time and energy to empowering women and young people. The creation of UN Women was hailed as an important reform.

My commitment to public service in Korea naturally grew into a commitment to public service for our world. I could never express how much I owe to so many people around the world for extending to me and all Koreans their strong, unconditional support and friendship. During the difficult moments when I faced complex crises, their voices have been a source of energy boosting my own limited capacity.

I hope people around the world will make the most of their own capacities, focusing on small improvements and concrete, long-term gains. Civic engagement is the future of our shared lives. We need the environment to sustain us, health to strengthen us, peace to inspire us, and the future to motivate us. I say “us” because we cannot attain these universal conditions working alone.

This book is not chronological, nor does it cover all that I experienced during my tenure. That would be impossible in this restricted space and time. It is informed by my personal perspective, which is naturally limited.

Countless stories of selfless devotion by the tens of thousands of staff and peacekeepers also deserve to be told.

Praise for

RESOLVE D

“Ban Ki-moon has had an extraordinary and inspirational life, not least given the extreme poverty in which he grew up. You admire his ambition, tenacity, and patience in achieving global consensus for the incredibly important Sustainable Development Goals. But you also appreciate the golden thread that weaves its way through this book—his humanity. A true public servant, whose compassion shines throughout.”

—Tony Blair, former prime minister of the United Kingdom “This is a warm, readable account by Ban Ki-moon of his ten-year term as UN secretary-general and of his aim from the beginning to prioritize the climate crisis. At a time of increasing skepticism, his humble humanitarian concern and intense dedication should do much to restore confidence in the core values of the UN.” —Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland, former UN high commissioner for human rights, and chair of The Elders “Can we not only imagine but actually build a better world? In this book, a farsighted global statesman not only says yes—but also shows us how.”

—Graham Allison, author of Destined for War: Can America and China Escape Thucydides’s Trap?

“In his momentous memoirs, Ban Ki-moon leads us through the exciting exchanges, communication, and interaction among world leaders, prominent personalities, citizens, and advocates as they craft a global agenda. This is a must-read for all interested in knowing the workings of the United Nations and its dedicated secretary-general.”

—Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former president of Liberia and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize “Ban Ki-moon describes a lifetime of service to Korea and to the world as the eighth secretary-general of the United Nations, where he put climate change at the top of his agenda. He provides fascinating details of the diplomacy and politics of what he describes as the ultimate threat to peace and security.”

—Joseph S. Nye Jr., author of Do Morals Matter? Presidents and Foreign Policy from FDR to Trump “Ban Ki-moon offers an incisive account of his history-shaping tenure as UN secretary-general.

With his unswerving commitment to human dignity and the common good, Ban reminds us of the harrowing risks to humanity of narrow-mindedness, abuse of power, militarism, and vast disruptions of economic and technological change.”

—Jeffrey D. Sachs, author of The Ages of Globalization: Geography, Technology, and Institutions PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.

Columbia University Press New York CUP.COLU MB I A .E D U

$27.95