One of the main lessons I have learned the last five years as Secretary-General is that the United Nations cannot function properly without the support of the business community and civil society. We need to have tripartite support – the governments, the business communities and the civil society. Ban Ki-moon Read Quote
Businesses succeed when societies themselves succeed. When countries are affected by violence and the absence of the rule of law, business can and must be a messenger of peace. Ban Ki-moon Read Quote
All women and girls have the fundamental right to live free of violence. This right is enshrined in international human rights and humanitarian law. And it lies at the heart of my UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign. Ban Ki-moon Read Quote
Frankly speaking, I don’t know much about rock music. But I enjoyed some when I was in college or high school. But I stopped listening after Elvis Presley! Ban Ki-moon Read Quote
As a child growing up during the Korean War, I knew poverty. I studied by candlelight. Ban Ki-moon Read Quote
The explosion in access to mobile phones and digital services means that people everywhere are contributing vast amounts of information to the global knowledge warehouse. Moreover, they are doing so for free, just by communicating, buying and selling goods and going about their daily lives. Ban Ki-moon Read Quote
When food prices surge, poor families suddenly find themselves unable to afford enough nutritious food. If this happens during the first thousand days of a child’s life, the damage to his or her body and mind can be permanent. Ban Ki-moon Read Quote
Every child, woman and man has a right to enough nutritious food for an active and healthy life. Ban Ki-moon Read Quote
As I prepare for my second term as Secretary-General, I am thinking hard about how we can meet the expectations of the millions of people who see the U.N.’s blue flag as a banner of hope. We have to continue our life-saving work in peacekeeping, human rights, development and humanitarian relief. Ban Ki-moon Read Quote
The good name of the United Nations is one of its most valuable assets – but also one of its most vulnerable. The Charter calls on staff to uphold the highest levels of efficiency, competence and integrity, and I will seek to ensure to build a solid reputation for living up to that standard. Ban Ki-moon Read Quote
