Decision Maker

Ban Ki-moon (Secretary-General of the United Nations)

Secretary-General of the United Nations

Ban Ki-moon, born on June 13, 1944, is a South Korean diplomat who most notably served as the eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 2007 to December 2016. During his two-term tenure, he prioritized climate change, global sustainability, women's rights, and peacekeeping. Prior to his role in the U.N., Ban was South Korea's foreign minister from 2004 until 2006. His extensive diplomatic career has spanned more than four decades and has included various roles within the South Korean government as well as extensive work on issues concerning inter-Korean relations and national security. He remains an influential global figure through post-U.N. endeavors such as engagements in the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens.