Ban gaining independence

Ban Ki-moon U.N. Secretary-General

Bucking pressure from the United States and Israel, U.N. secretary-general Ban Ki-moon will attend the Non-aligned Movement (NAM) summit in Iran next week, his office said Thursday.

U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said Ban would participate in the Aug. 29-31 talks in Tehran because he takes “seriously” the U.N. responsibility to engage with all of member states to pursue peace and security.

Ban is expected to meet with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as well as its President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. His office said he will urge them to come in line with international norms on its nuclear ambitions, terrorism and human rights.

Observers said the move flexed Ban’s power after he was unanimously awarded a second five-year term last year.

The move, however, is likely to irk some international players that believe the summit lends credibility to the authoritarian regime.

Ban sees the summit as “opportunity to work with the participating heads of state and government, including the host country, towards solutions on issues that are central to the global agenda including follow-up to the Rio+20 sustainable development, disarmament, conflict prevention, and support for countries in transition,” the spokesperson said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this month said Ban’s attendance would be a “horrible mistake” that would stain the U.N.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland, who earlier said the move would not send a good signal, adjusted her remarks, calling on Ban to make use of the trip to “say directly to Iran’s leaders what the international community’s concerns are.”
Iran, under multiple rounds of sanctions, says it has the right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes. But Western powers believe it pursuing weapons of mass destruction.

Nuland said Ban should test Tehran’s willingness “to begin to come clean on their nuclear program and to solve this particular issue diplomatically.”

Tensions remain taut between Iran and Israel. Last week, Ban was “dismayed” by recent remarks threatening Israel’s existence attributed to Ahmadinejad and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and condemned the comments as “offensive and inflammatory.”
NAM member states claim not to be aligned with any major power block.

Ban, a former South Korean foreign minister, could also meet with Kim Yong-nam, North Korea’s ceremonial head of state who will attend the summit.

Pyongyang Thursday put to rest speculation that its leader Kim Jong-un would attend the talks. Reports had said the twenty-something would make his international debut there, misinterpreting the title of the North’s “top leader.” Officially, Kim Yong-nam holds the title but is largely seen as a figurehead.

Seoul, which is not a NAM member state, will send officials to observe. <The Korea Times/Kim Young-jin>

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