UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said here Tuesday that "the role of the United Nations is to lead," and "as we look to the future, we recognize the imperative for decisive and concerted action."
The secretary-general made the remarks at the General Assembly shortly after he was appointed by the 192-member UN body as the UN chief for a
second five-year term.
Earlier, Ban, led by General Assembly President Joseph Deiss, swore his oath of office with his hand on an original signed copy of the UN
Charter, which was brought here from the U.S. National Archives in Washington D.C..
"The role of the United Nations is to lead," Ban said. "Each of us here today shares that responsibility. It is why the UN matters in a
different and deeper way than ever before."
Ban explained that the UN has a legacy of accomplishments and leadership.
"For sixty-five years, this great organization has carried the flame of human aspiration -- 'we the peoples,'" Ban said. "From the last of
the great world wars, through the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of apartheid, we have fed the hungry, delivered comfort to the sick
and suffering, brought peace to those afflicted by war."
Ban was elected to a second term as secretary-general by acclamation at the General Assembly on Tuesday afternoon. His new term will begin
on Jan. 1, 2012 and run through Dec. 31, 2016.
The secretary-general said that progress has been made in many important areas as the UN continues playing a leadership role globally.
"When we began, climate change was an invisible issue," he noted. "Today we have placed it squarely on the global agenda. When we began,
nuclear disarmament was frozen in time. Today we see progress."
He lauded the progress of UN activities on the ground in countries around the world.
"Amid devastating natural disasters, we were there, saving lives -- in Haiti, Pakistan, Myanmar," he said. "As never before, the UN is one
the front lines protecting people and helping build the peace -- in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Somalia; in
Afghanistan, Iraq and the Middle East. We have stood firm for democracy, justice and human rights -- in Cote d'Ivoire, North Africa and beyond."
Ban said that in his second term he recognizes the "imperative for decisive and concerted action," but that in order to do this, the
whole UN system must "deliver as one."
"Our legacy, such as it may be, will be written in alliance -- the leaders of the world, leading in common cause," he told the assembly.
"As in the past I count on your support and even deeper partnership.
By acting decisively to renew my mandate, you have given me the gift of time -- time to carry on the important work that, together, we have
begun."
He said that partnership is necessary to take on goals like improving women's and children's health, encouraging green growth, and making
social and economic development more equitable.
The time frame for accomplishing the UN's goals, he explained, is set through upcoming events like the deadline to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015, the Rio +20 Conference due to be held in 2012, and the high-level meeting on nuclear safety scheduled
for September 2011.
In closing his speech, Ban said that he is fully devoted to the UN and its essential principles.
"Honoring your trust, I pledge my full commitment, my full energy and resolve, to uphold the fundamental principles of our sacred charter,"
he said. "Together, let us do all we can to help this noble organization better serve 'we the peoples' of the world. Together, no challenge is too large. Together, nothing is impossible."
Ban, a South Korean national, has been secretary-general of the UN since January 2007. He is the eighth person to hold the office.