<h3 class="post-title subpt">Ban Ki-moon,&nbsp;former Secretary-General of the United Nations, announced as a new member of The Elders.</h3><div class="quoteblock"><div class="quotetext">"As a new member of The Elders from East Asia, he will bring a unique and valuable perspective based on his record of global leadership and understanding of geopolitics." –Kofi Annan</div></div><p align="center"><img src="/sites/default/files/migrated3/ban-ki-moon-credit-un-photo-mark-garten-650px.jpg"/><br><em>Ban Ki-moon (Credit: UN Photo/Mark Garten)</em></p>
<p>The Elders are delighted to announce that <a href="https://www.un.org/sg/en/formersg/ban.shtml&quot; target="_blank"><strong>former United Nations Secretary-General</strong></a> Ban Ki-moon has accepted their invitation to join the group.</p>
<p>Ban served two full terms as Secretary-General from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2016, succeeding Kofi Annan who is the current Chair of The Elders.</p>
<p>During his time in office, Ban helped spearhead the adoption of the <a href="http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/…; target="_blank"><strong>Sustainable Development Goals</strong></a> and worked intensively to secure the <a href="http://unfccc.int/paris_agreement/items/9485.php&quot; target="_blank"><strong>Paris Agreement</strong></a> on <a href="http://theelders.org/climate-change"><strong>climate change</strong></a> in December 2015. He also successfully pressed for the <a href="http://www.unwomen.org/en/about-us/about-un-women&quot; target="_blank"><strong>creation of UN Women</strong></a> as part of his wider advocacy for <a href="http://www.theelders.org/equality-girls-women"><strong>equality for girls and women</strong></a>.</p>
<p>Prior to his election as UN Secretary-General, Ban served as South Korea’s foreign minister from 2004-2006 after three decades in the diplomatic service.</p>
<p><a href="http://theelders.org/kofi-annan"><strong>Kofi Annan</strong></a>, Chair of The Elders, said:</p>
<p><em>“I am delighted to welcome Ban to our group. As a new member of The Elders from East Asia, he will bring a unique and valuable perspective based on his record of global leadership and understanding of geopolitics. His commitment to peace, equality and development will be a huge asset to The Elders as we enter our second decade of work together.”</em></p>
<p><a href="http://theelders.org/gro-brundtland"><strong>Gro Harlem Brundtland</strong></a>, Deputy Chair of The Elders and former Prime Minister of Norway, added:</p>
<p><em>“Ban Ki-moon was a champion for climate action, sustainable development and gender equality throughout his time at the UN. I look forward to working with him now as an Elder, and to defend the multilateral system that is essential for delivering further progress.”</em></p>
<p><a href="http://theelders.org/ban-ki-moon"><strong>Ban Ki-moon</strong></a> said:</p>
<p><em>“It is an honour and a privilege to join this august group, whose work I have admired for many years. It is a particular pleasure to stand alongside my predecessor at the UN, Kofi Annan. The Elders and the United Nations share the same values of justice, solidarity and a determination to fight for peace and human rights. I eagerly await the task ahead in this new chapter of my career.”</em></p>
<hr>
<p>For media inquiries, please contact William French, Head of Communications at The Elders (+44 7795 693903) or email: [email protected]</p>