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Since the beginning of the year, South Korea's Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon has been busily touring the capitals of the nations that compose the 15-member U.N. Security Council. He has visited Washington, Brazzaville (Congo), and Europe twice over the past 12 months, delivering a major speech at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization headquarters in Brussels aside from meetings with his counterparts in London and Paris. Minister Ban's globe-trotting diplomacy preceded the official announcement of the Korean government on Feb. 14 of his candidature for the next U.N. secretary-general.

To most Koreans, that's hardly surprising. Indeed, they find the prospect of a Korean diplomat taking the helm of the world's most important organization exciting, even appropriate. After all, they crave for global recognition of their perseverance and achievement of the past few decades, during which they successfully built a vibrant democracy in Asia and the world's 10th biggest economy. And this achievement - taking the country out of abject poverty to the industrial powerhouse of Asia in a single generation - was possible in large measure thanks to the support and assistance rendered by the United Nations. Had it not been for the collective security action taken by the U.N. that repelled the North Korean invasion in 1950, South Korea by now should be a basket case under communism crying for urgent humanitarian aid.

Only a year ago, the idea of a South Korean diplomat taking the job of running the world's preeminent institution seemed remote. To say the least, a nation ideologically divided and militarily allied to the United States, Korea was perceived to be in a relatively disadvantageous position to put forward a candidate for the top U.N. post, which requires strong political independence and impartiality. Two prominent Asians were already in the running for this post, under the U.N. practice of regional rotation and with an Asian due the post this time. One was Surakiart Sathirathai, Thai deputy prime minister as the ASEAN's endorsed candidate, and Jayantha Dhanapala, another eminent Sri Lankan diplomat, former U.N. undersecretary-general for disarmament.

But their support base seems to have been eroded, and the field is suddenly open for a Korean candidate or other potential newcomers. According to Thai media reports, the Thai ambassador in Washington has recommended to his government that Surakiart's candidacy be withdrawn for lack of support in Washington. As for Dhanapala, some Security Council members are reportedly reluctant to back another former U.N. official for the post, right after Kofi Annan who also rose from the U.N. bureaucracy. Despite these developments, Asia, with its growing power and influence, must show the firm resolve to give the post of U.N. secretary-general to an Asian, after waiting almost half a century.

While the United States does not wish to be bound by the practice, China and Russia insist that Annan's successor should come from Asia, in honor of the U.N. tradition. When that position is held throughout, it would rule out the possibility of a former Polish president or current Latvian president - two persons from "new Europe" - taking the post.

Divided as they may be as to who from which region should be the next secretary-general, the permanent five - China, France, Russia, the United States and the United Kingdom - must develop a consensus before the end of this year, as each of the five has veto over the secretary-general's selection. It is in this context of searching for a mutually acceptable candidate that Ban's candidature makes a good sense.

Ban, particularly through the six-party talks process on the North Korean nuclear issue, has not only established a strong rapport with the U.S. secretary of state and foreign ministers of China, Russia and Japan, but also demonstrated his capability in handling Seoul's delicate relationship with the four surrounding powers with finesse and the right balance. Seoul also enjoys extremely good relations with the United Kingdom and France. It would seem that his credentials among all the permanent five at the Security Council are expected to be good in the event of a deadlock. China is not likely to stand in the way of a Korean assuming the post of the next secretary-general, given the increasingly warmer ties between Seoul and Beijing in all aspects of their bilateral relations.

The United Nations is facing daunting challenges in the new century, ranging from poverty eradication to nuclear disarmament, and the need for the world organization is rapidly growing. The United Nations has earned its reputation as an organization which has persisted through the best and the worst of its 60 year history. For all its strengths and weaknesses the United Nations must now regain the confidence of the international community and reassert its rightful place in world affairs under the new leadership.

Demand for independence, integrity and activism of the secretary-general is strong and they are vital to the future of the United Nations. Minister Ban, throughout his long diplomatic career, has exhibited the outstanding management skills, dynamism and leadership that we seek in the new secretary-general.

The secretary-general's appointment may well be a political decision with qualifications and leadership qualities becoming secondary due to the selection process in which permanent member's veto is permitted. Interestingly, the General Assembly has never rejected the Security Council's recommendation on the matter before. The ultimate key therefore is the political compromise among the five permanent members of the Security Council, particularly between the United States and China. However, the essential need for leadership qualities in the new secretary-general should result in the entire membership of the United Nations looking for the best qualified candidate.

There are still 10 more months to go before the election of the next U.N. secretary-general. Nobody can predict how the political dynamics of the election will unfold in the next several months. One possible and important variable conceivable at this moment is that if the front-running candidates compete against one another with the support of the five permanent members divided and an impasse is created, the election of a third candidate is possible. Recent talk of having a prominent political figure in the post of the next U.N. secretary-general stems from the eagerness of some U.N. members to decisively enhance the status of the United Nations, push ahead with bold reforms, and facilitate the organization's good relationship with the United States through strong political leadership.

Even under these circumstances, Ban is a credible candidate who has a good chance to rally around him not only the support of the 15-member Security Council, but also a large majority of the General Assembly.



Park Soo-gil is a former Korean ambassador to the United Nations. He is currently teaching at the Korea University Graduate School of International Studies and is the presidnet of the United Nations Association of the Republic of Korea. - Ed.
-2006.2.22일자 코리아헤럴드