Ban Ki-moon has been Secretary-General of the United Nations since 2007, prior to which he was South Korea’s foreign minister. A career diplomat, he previously served as Director of the UN’s International Organizations and Treaties Bureau, Vice Chairman of the South-North Joint Nuclear Control Commission, and South Korean National Security Adviser.
The annual cost of damage to commercial and residential buildings worldwide is now expected to average $314 billion, with the private sector bearing as much as 85% of the price tag. That is why hundre… read more
In recent years, the UN's commitment to Haiti has helped to reduce the toll of the cholera epidemic that has been ravaging the country since 2010, while promoting security, stability, and human rights… read more
For a child, receiving a vaccine takes just a moment (and perhaps a few tears). But such moments are crucial for getting children off to a healthy start in life, and for advancing progress on global h… read more
This month, the Millennium Villages Project launches its second five-year stage. Around Africa, and now around the world, governments are scaling up the lessons from this project and others like it: e… read more
Late next month, a child will be born – the 7th billion citizen of planet Earth. We will never know the circumstances into which he or she was born, but we do know the global imperatives that this chi… read more
As the UN Conference on Disarmament begins a seven-week session in Geneva, its future is on the line. Whereas countries and civil-society initiatives are on the move, the Conference has stagnated. Its… read more
The pain and suffering in Haiti arising from last year’s earthquake was already enormous, and has since been compounded by Hurricane Tomas, growing political tensions, and the outbreak of cholera. Whi… read more
Africa has made great strides over the past decade in providing life-saving treatment to HIV patients. But there is a new and growing danger that these advances might not be sustained, owing to high d… read more
