U.N. Secretary-General urges 'global multilateralism'

Calling 2009 a “make or break” year, Ban explained that in this age of globalization it is more important than ever for countries to come together to solve international problems, such as the international financial crisis, climate change, nuclear nonproliferation, poverty and hunger.

In his speech, titled “The Imperative for a New Multilateralism,” Ban said that problems plaguing the global community are mounting. He noted that hunger in the world has spread to the point where more than one billion people go to bed hungry every night, and he explained that the “ranks of the unemployed” could grow to more than 50 million people in 2009.

“Absent decisive action at this time, I’m afraid that we face a real prospect of our existing system unraveling,” he said, adding that “bold action” is required for the world to stop its current “descent.”

In her introductory remarks, President Tilghman noted that current international issues made Ban’s speech especially relevant.

“The worldwide economic crisis has vividly underscored how the world has indeed shrunk and its people are so interconnected,” Tilghman said, adding that the U.N. secretary-general is in a unique position to enact reforms to create a “more effective United Nations and human and stable world.”

Accomplishing such goals, Ban said, necessitates a new multilateralism, one that “harnesses both power and principle” to tackle the issues faced by the international community.

“The world faces a set of global threats that hold the key to our common future,” he explained. “These threats are contagious. They do not recognize borders.”

Ban also noted that no one country alone could fix the world’s problems.

“People say the United States is the only superpower with the mightiest resources, but even the United States cannot address these issues alone,” he said. “They can only be countered through global effort.”

Noting that the leaders of the G8 and G-20 countries bear the responsibility of taking “remedial action” in light of the current economic crisis, Ban emphasized the importance of representing the billions of people who do not have a voice at the negotiating table. He added that though the countries with the strongest economies must lead the fight against climate change, their solutions must ultimately be created and adopted by all nations.

The goal of this “new multilateralism,” Ban explained, is to ensure that nations are not forced to face international problems like climate change in isolation.

Though Ban added that he was “encouraged” that the G-20 leaders at the recent summit in London agreed to “mobilize” $1.1 trillion to aid developing countries and emerging economies, he noted that 17 of the G-20 countries, after pledging not to, had engaged in protectionist actions and as a result harmed developing countries.

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Ban explained that in light of the challenges the world faces, countries may have the instinct to look inward and protect their narrow interests but should resist that urge to isolate themselves.

“Either we will succeed together or fail alone,” he said.

Strengthening and reforming the United Nations is also an important element of addressing international problems, Ban said. He noted that member countries have given the U.N. secretaries and secretary-general an “increased mandate” to address international issues, but by not giving the United Nations the corresponding authority or resources, member nations have hindered the global organization from adequately facing global challenges. Ban added that recent budget battles have been particularly crippling.

The agenda for a new multilateralism consequently calls for providing the United Nations with increased economic and financial stability, Ban said. This is necessary for the organization to accomplish its eight Millennium Development Goals, which include cutting abject poverty in half by 2015, providing children with educational opportunities and ensuring partnership between governments, business agencies and non-governmental organizations, he explained.

Ban also said that it was his goal to reduce the number of U.N. peacekeepers and peacekeeping missions worldwide. Less than a decade ago, the United Nations had 20,000 peacekeepers deployed across the globe but that number is now more than 110,000, Ban said, a sign of decreasing peace worldwide.

“I command the second largest deployed forces around the world. That does not mean the U.N. is a superpower,” he said. “I am not happy that number is so high.”

He added that the United Nations has been working to head off conflict before it starts.

“People have been spending $7 billion and $8 billion a year to maintain peacekeeping operations,” Ban explained. “If we were able to prevent this from erupting into such conflict, we could have saved a lot of … human life and financial resources.”

Several students at the event said they enjoyed the talk, though some added that Ban failed to address controversial issues in his speech, the keynote address for the 2009 Princeton Colloquium on Public and International Affairs addressing the theme of “Prosperity or Peril? The Next Phase of Globalization.”

Lydia Dallett ’12, who aspires to work for the United Nations after she graduates, said she was “super-excited” to hear Ban’s talk but noted that she found the speech “fluffy.”

“He sort of gave a survey of the issues that the U.N. needs to be working on,” she explained. “He didn’t go into a lot of detail about anything.”

Neha Goel ’11 said she was “pretty disappointed” by the speech’s predictability.

“With most speakers, the more prominent the name, the less [the speech is] of consequence ... due to liability issues,” she said. “The secretary-general of the U.N. can’t really make inflammatory comments that’ll be printed in all the papers the next day ... It wasn’t anything we didn’t already know.”

Steven Sok ’12 called the speech “inspirational,” especially in light of Ban’s diplomatic career. A native of South Korea, Ban, who worked as a diplomat for 30 years, was elected the eighth U.N. secretary-general in October 2006.

“He comes from a relatively humble background, and he got to that position from hard work,” Sok said. “It inspires me to work hard in my own life for the things I’m passionate about.”