H.E. Ban Ki-moon: Keynote Speech | The Korea Peacekeeping Forum for Women’s Empowerment

Military officials and diplomats from around the world met in Seoul for the "Korea Peacekeeping Forum for Women's Empowerment" to celebrate and support women’s full, equal and meaningful participation in peace operations.

The event brought together high and middle ranking military officials, diplomats, and UN staff, affirming the critical importance of the women, peace, and security agenda and promotion of gender equality in UN peacekeeping operations.

As the first of its kind in the Republic of Korea (RoK), the Forum was organized by the UN Women Centre of Excellence for Gender Equality, in partnership with the Ministry of the National Defense (MND) of the Republic of Korea and follows the country’s election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2024-2025 term.

H.E. Ban Ki-moon | Former Secretary-General of the United Nations

Mr. Ban served as the Chairman of Presidential National Council on Climate and Air Quality (NCCA) (2019-2021). In 2018, Mr. Ban was elected as the Chairman of Boao Forum for Asia. Mr. Ban, along with former President of Austria Mr. Heinz Fischer, was inducted as Co-Chairs of the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens in Vienna, Austria. Mr. Ban is the Chair of the Global Center on Adaptation, an international organization hosted by the Netherlands. Mr. Ban Ki-moon was also elected as Chairman of IOC Ethics Committee in September 2017. Mr. Ban served as the Honorary Chairman at the Institute of Global Engagement & Empowerment at Yonsei University (2018-2022). In February 2018, he was elected and has been serving as the President of the Assembly & Chair of the Council of Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI).

Currently, he is the chairman of Ban Ki-moon Foundation for a Better Future and the Distinguished Chair Professor and Honorary Chairman of the Future Strategy Institute at Seoul National University. Prior to these appointments, Mr. Ban served two consecutive terms as the Secretary General of the United Nations (2007-2016).

Throughout his tenure at the UN, Mr. Ban strove to be a bridge builder, to give voice to the world’s poorest and the most vulnerable people, and to make the Organization more transparent and effective. He successfully pressed for action to combat climate change - an effort that culminated in the adoption and rapid entry into the landmark Paris Agreement in 2016. Mr. Ban worked closely with member states of the UN to shape the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to establish UN Women, which has been advancing the Organization’s work for gender equality and women’s empowerment. Mr. Ban also launched major efforts to strengthen UN peace operations, to protect human rights, to improve humanitarian response, and to prevent violent extremism and to revitalize the disarmament agenda.

At the time of his appointment at the UN, Mr. Ban was the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Republic of Korea. His 37 years with the Ministry included postings in New Delhi, Washington D.C., and Vienna, and responsibilities for a variety of portfolios, including Foreign Policy Adviser to the President, Chief National Security Adviser to the President, Vice Minister, Deputy Minister for Policy Planning and Director-General for American Affairs. Mr. Ban has also been actively involved in issues relating to inter-Korean relations by serving as Chairman of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization.

Mr. Ban received a bachelor’ s degree in international relations from Seoul National University in 1970. He earned a master’s degree in public administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in 1985.

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