UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon receives UCLA medal, speaks on hopes for future
By Ravi Doshi
March 2, 2010 10:19 p.m.
In a brief ceremony marked by light moments and an earnest call to action, Chancellor Gene Block bestowed the UCLA Medal, the highest honor given by the campus, upon U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Tuesday morning.
Praising the secretary-general’s focus on global challenges, from climate change to economic development, as well as his inspirational leadership, Block gave Ban the medal that had previously been worn by campus luminaries and national and international dignitaries.
Accepting the award on behalf of not only himself but the United Nations, Ban delivered the Bernard Brodie Distinguished Lecture on the Conditions of Peace after receiving the medal.
The career diplomat reminisced on his decision to enter the foreign service and the need for younger generations to take their place in the global community.
“You are the future of this world. … You are going to be leaders of this society; not just the U.S., but the whole world,” Ban said.
Noting the interconnectedness of today’s world, Ban stressed the need for global cooperation and American leadership to deal with the pressing issues of the day, from climate change to global development to women’s empowerment.
“Never has a call to global action, to global solidarity, been so clear,” he said.
He also spoke of his long ties to California, and of his personal connection to UCLA, as his son graduated from the Anderson School of Management.
Ban came to California after winning a Red Cross essay contest in 1962. After completing his education, he began a diplomatic career that took him from posts in New Delhi to Washington, D.C., before becoming the eighth secretary-general of the United Nations in 2007.
In this position, Ban has worked for greater transparency within the organization, pushed for greater U.N. involvement in Darfur, and has sought to push nations into adopting policies to help the U.N. achieve its Millennium Development Goals by the 2015 deadline, an issue which he addressed Tuesday.
