The United States urged quick U.N. approval of South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon as the next U.N. secretary-general, expressing confidence the experienced diplomat will actively reform the world body. The State Department said the United States welcomes Monday s Security Council decision recommending Ban to replace outgoing Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who frequently disagreed with Washington during his 10-year tenure. We look forward to prompt action by the U.N. General Assembly to appoint foreign Minister Ban so that he may begin to prepare for the challenges awaiting him and the United Nations, the department said in a statement. The United States believes that Secretary-General-designate Ban is the right choice to lead the United Nations at this pivotal time in its history, the department wrote. Ban is viewed as a strong advocate of transforming the United Nations into an organization capable of using its human and financial resources to maximum effect and operating at the highest standards of integrity, the statement said. The Bush administration, most notably through its U.N. Ambassador John Bolton, has been a leading critic of what it sees as inefficiency and mismanagement at the United Nations.
