2007年VOA标准英语-Ban Says UN Remains Key to Solving Global Probl

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is on a two-day visit to California to discuss climate change and other global challenges. Mike O'Sullivan reports from San Francisco, the secretary-general says the United Nations suffers an image problem in the United States, but that the organization remains¹ the best hope for solving international problems.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon says the challenges facing the world today require dialogue and collective action. He lists the main issues, as he sees them.

"You have international terrorism, abject² poverty, sanitation³, pandemic diseases, and most importantly these days, climate change issues," he said.

Ban, who addressed San Francisco's World Affairs Council Thursday, said global warming will be a U.N. priority during his tenure⁴. He says the United States, the leading emitter of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, which contribute to global warming, can play a pivotal role in solving the problem.

"The United States is the largest emitter," he said. "But what is fortunate is that the United States is the biggest technological⁵ innovator⁶."

Ban is the former South Korean foreign minister, and he has been at the helm of the United Nations for just seven months. He says the world body is under-appreciated in the United States, and he cites a poll in which two-thirds of Americans said they believe the United Nations is doing a poor job.

On a more positive note, the U.N. chief says, nearly three-quarters of Americans believed the United Nations should play a bigger role in solving the world's problems. He says he is committed to reforming the organization, increasing its efficiency and effectiveness and making its operations more transparent⁷.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban K-moon visits with Libby Patterson

She described him as a focused and serious teenager. Today, Ban is a soft-spoken and careful diplomat⁹, who defends his low-key manner, saying he is a man who gets things done.

"I may not offer soaring rhetoric¹⁰, but I do promise results," he said.

Friday, the secretary-general will meet with a man with a more forceful style but a similar focus on environmental issues, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The two will discuss global warming and the aggressive measures California has taken to address it. Then they will visit a company that has developed technology to curb¹¹ greenhouse gas emissions¹².