Ban Ki-moon (Yonseï University)

Ban Ki-moon was the eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations, elected for two terms from 2007 until 2016. In this role, his priority was to mobilise world leaders around new global challenges such as climate change, economic upheaval, increasing problems related to food, energy and water. His aim was to be a bridge-builder, to represent the poor and vulnerable and to strengthen the United Nations organisation itself.

One of the Secretary-General's first major initiatives was the 2007 Climate Change Summit, which was followed by extensive diplomatic efforts that helped put this issue to the forefront of global agendas. Ban Ki-moon successfully launched "UN Women", a major new entity in favor of women's rights and gender equality, that has achieved the development of numerous initiatives, including actions against sexual violence during times of conflict.