Ki-Moon As Key Player: The Secretary-General's Role in Peace and Security (Features‪)‬

To evaluate the performance of Ban Ki-moon in his current five-year term as Secretary-General of the United Nations, it is necessary to take a historical perspective in the context of two significant considerations. Firstly, the reluctance of sovereign states to initiate drastic changes in international institutional structures merits consideration. When states do allow creative innovations, it is usually in response to dramatic upheavals in the international system. Secondly, the high propensity of sovereign states, particularly those perceived as major powers, to avoid appointing or electing strong and creative individuals as the Secretary-General of the United Nations must be noted. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]