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STORY: UN / LEADERSHIP FOR PEACE
TRT: 6:19
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 15 DECEMBER 2025, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE – NEW YORK CITY
1. Close up, exterior, United Nations Headquarters
15 DECEMBER 2025, NEW YORK CITY
2. Various shots, Security Council
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, Elder emeritus:
“I am of the view that UN leadership must more confidently reassert its active political role in diplomacy for peace, including mediating and settling crises. Member States must support this role, and guard against situations in which only powerful countries dictate political settlements. And this needs to start here, in this Council, in this Chamber.”
4. Wide shot, Security Council
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, Elder emeritus:
“If we are to truly promote leadership for peace, we must fundamentally reform and reinvigorate the way this Council operates. It must be made fit for purpose for the twenty-first century world, rather than the twentieth century.”
6. Wide shot, Security Council
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, Elder emeritus:
“The Council has long been plagued by divisions and disruptive tactics. But the irresponsible way many States now disregard their obligations today is especially concerning. In particular, some Permanent Members of this Council regularly undermine the UN’s universal peace and security mandate; through their use of the veto to shield themselves, their allies, and their proxies from accountability. Without concrete reforms to curb the arbitrary use, and misuse, of veto power by permanent members, the UN's sense of helplessness will not be overcome. Civilians will remain unprotected in conflict. Impunity will still reign.”
8. Various shots, Security Council
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Anjali K. Dayal, Associate Professor of International Politics, Fordham University:
“And so perhaps the single most important characteristic in any Secretary General you wish to select is someone who, both by disposition and by position, weighs the value of tomorrow more than they weigh today’s advantages, who recognizes their charge as being the charge of humanity, and who knows their power lies in helping us tie our ambitions today toward future flourishing. To make the conference room always more attractive than the battlefield.”
10. Wide shot, Security Council
11. SOUNDBITE (French) Jérôme Bonnafont, Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations:
“The next Secretary-General must be accountable for the effectiveness of the organization. But must give order to the entire United Nations system. This means an ability to strengthen the culture of effectiveness, responsibility, and good management by harnessing UN80, our organization must show that it is able to adapt and act with people who understand that there is a constrained budgetary context. And so this will require determination, courage and ambition.”
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Jennifer Locetta, Deputy Representative to the United Nations / Alternate Representative for Special Political Affairs, United States:
“As the chief administrative officer, we expect the next Secretary-General to respect State sovereignty, guarantee fiscal responsibility, cut wasteful spending, and ensure efficiency in internal UN operations."
13. Wide shot, Security Council
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Jennifer Locetta, Deputy Representative to the United Nations / Alternate Representative for Special Political Affairs, United States:
"The United States will continue to reject initiatives that fall outside or tempt to redefine the core purpose of the Charter. As the largest contributor to the UN's budget throughout its existence, we will prioritize a strong return on our investment. And we urge other countries to do the same, as well.”
15. Wide shot, Security Council
16. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Fu Cong, Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations:
“We must uphold a correct view of the history of World War II, to safeguard the outcomes of the victory in World War Two and defend the postwar international order. We must adhere to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, uphold the sovereign equality of all states, large and small, oppose unilateralism, hate monism and power politics, advance the democratization of international relations and enhance the reputation and voice of developing countries in international affairs.”
17. Wide shot, Security Council
18. SOUNDBITE (English) James Kariuki, Deputy Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations:
“Such the demands of the role of secretary general, that we must undertake a merit based process to find the most qualified candidates. The person best equipped to lead the UN over the coming years. We strongly encourage the nomination of female candidates.”
19. Wide shot, Security Council
20. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Dmitry Polyanskiy, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations:
“Therefore, the UN 80 must be carried out with strict country oversight and in full compliance with UN resolutions and decisions absolutely crucial to ensure that this initiative not be used to undermine the prerogatives of the Security Council. It is the Security Council that bears primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. With respect for the principles of the UN Charter alone and in its entirety, can we smoothly move to genuine and effective multilateralism, where all countries of the world will win out.”
21. Wide shot, Security Council
22. Wide shot, members of the Elders at the media encounter
23. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, Elder emeritus:
“I sincerely hope that Member States of the United Nations particularly the members from the Security Council, will pay attention urgently on how to make United Nations more active, more trustworthy vis-a-vis the people of the world.”
24. Wide shot, members of the Elders leaving the media encounter
Former UN Secretary-General and an emeritus member of the Elders, Ban Ki-moon, said that to truly promote leadership for peace, the international community must fundamentally reform and reinvigorate the Security Council.
Ban spoke at the Council’s meeting today (15 Dec) under the theme of Maintenance of international peace and security: Leadership for peace.
The former UN chief said, “I am of the view that UN leadership must more confidently reassert its active political role in diplomacy for peace, including mediating and settling crises.”
“Member States must support this role, and guard against situations in which only powerful countries dictate political settlements. And this needs to start here, in this Council, in this Chamber,” Ban added.
He suggested that the next Secretary-General should be empowered by a single, seven-year term, explaining that two five-year terms leave the Secretary-General overly dependent on this Council’s Permanent Members for an extension.
Ban also highlighted that the Council “must be made fit for purpose for the twenty-first century world, rather than the twentieth century.”
He said, “The Council has long been plagued by divisions and disruptive tactics. But the irresponsible way many States now disregard their obligations today is especially concerning. “
In particular, some Permanent Members of this Council regularly undermine the UN’s universal peace and security mandate; through their use of the veto to shield themselves, their allies, and their proxies from accountability,” the former UN chief said,
He continued, “Without concrete reforms to curb the arbitrary use, and misuse, of veto power by permanent members, the UN's sense of helplessness will not be overcome. Civilians will remain unprotected in conflict. Impunity will still reign.”
Anjali K. Dayal, an Associate Professor of International Politics at Fordham University also briefed the Council.
She said, “perhaps the single most important characteristic in any Secretary General you wish to select is someone who, both by disposition and by position, weighs the value of tomorrow more than they weigh today’s advantages, who recognizes their charge as being the charge of humanity, and who knows their power lies in helping us tie our ambitions today toward future flourishing.”
“To make the conference room always more attractive than the battlefield,” Professor Dayal concluded.
For his part, French Ambassador Jérôme Bonnafont said, “The next Secretary-General must be accountable for the effectiveness of the organization. But must give order to the entire United Nations system.”
“This means an ability to strengthen the culture of effectiveness, responsibility, and good management by harnessing UN80, our organization must show that it is able to adapt and act with people who understand that there is a constrained budgetary context,” Ambassador Bonnafont added.
He concluded, “this will require determination, courage and ambition.”
US Representative Jennifer Locetta said, “As the chief administrative officer, we expect the next Secretary-General to respect State sovereignty, guarantee fiscal responsibility, cut wasteful spending, and ensure efficiency in internal UN operations."
The US Representative reiterated, “the United States will continue to reject initiatives that fall outside or tempt to redefine the core purpose of the Charter.”
“As the largest contributor to the UN's budget throughout its existence, we will prioritize a strong return on our investment. And we urge other countries to do the same, as well,” Locetta added.
For his part, Chinese Ambassador Fu Cong said, “We must uphold a correct view of the history of World War II, to safeguard the outcomes of the victory in World War Two and defend the postwar international order.”
The Chinese Ambassador continued, “We must adhere to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, uphold the sovereign equality of all states, large and small, oppose unilateralism, hate monism and power politics, advance the democratization of international relations and enhance the reputation and voice of developing countries in international affairs.”
UK Ambassador James Kariuki said, “Such the demands of the role of secretary general, that we must undertake a merit-based process to find the most qualified candidates.”
He highlighted that the UK “strongly encourage the nomination of female candidates.”
Russian Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy underscored, “the UN 80 must be carried out with strict country oversight and in full compliance with UN resolutions and decisions absolutely crucial to ensure that this initiative not be used to undermine the prerogatives of the Security Council.”
Ambassador Polyanskiy continued, “It is the Security Council that bears primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. With respect for the principles of the UN Charter alone and in its entirety, can we smoothly move to genuine and effective multilateralism, where all countries of the world will win out.”
Earlier today, members of the Elder group spoke to reporters.
Ban Ki-moon said he sincerely hopes that Member States of the United Nations particularly the members from the Security Council, “will pay attention urgently on how to make United Nations more active, more trustworthy vis-a-vis the people of the world.”
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