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UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon (left) talks with Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn at the Jeju Forum held at Jeju International Convention Center in Seogwipo

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is aware of a UN Resolution that would prohibit him from assuming a governmental role immediately after his term as Secretary-General ends, a UN spokesperson said. The statement raises the question of whether Ban will run for president of South Korea in defiance of this resolution.

When a reporter asked during the regular press briefing at the UN Headquarters in New York on May 31 whether a 1946 UN resolution barring secretaries-general from seeking government office immediately after stepping down was still in effect, UN Spokesperson St?phane Dujarric said that Ban was “obviously . . . aware” of the resolution.

During its first session in Jan. 1946, immediately after the UN was established, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 11(I), which states, “It is desirable that no Member should offer [a Secretary-General], at any rate immediately on retirement, any governmental position [. . .] and on his part a Secretary-General should refrain from accepting any such position.”

Dujarric reiterated that, once Ban’s term as Secretary-General has concluded, “he will then decide how best to be a productive global citizen, but [. . .] that decision will come after he leaves office.”

“The rest is just speculation,” he added.

Dujarric also addressed remarks that Ban made during a meeting with senior journalists at the Kwanhun Club which are being taken to mean that he intends to run for president. “The basic message from the Secretary General is that, up until the very last day of the mandate that’s been given to him by Member States, he will focus on being Secretary General and fulfilling that mandate,” the spokesperson said.

Ban is facing criticism for behaving like a presidential candidate while he was visiting South Korea last week.

By Yi Yong-in, Washington correspondent

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