Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd today welcomed the reappointment of Ban Ki-moon for a second term as United Nations Secretary-General.
The Secretary-General has implemented a number of important reforms in his first term. These include an enhanced role for the UN in responding to global crises and transitions, including recently in Libya.He has also driven a greater focus on budget efficiency to ensure that the UN is more transparent, accountable, efficient and results-oriented on behalf of its 192 member states.The Secretary-General has presided over the establishment of UN Women, to take forward in one central location the UN's important work on gender equality and women's empowerment.
Ban Ki Moon has demonstrated strong leadership by speaking out on issues of clear principle, whether they be the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals, the Responsibility to Protect or the promotion of universal human rights standards.Australia looks forward to continuing our close working relationship with the Secretary-General in his second term.