Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/u-n-chief-forging-new-solutions-on-climate-conflicts Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Transcript United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has faced a long list of priorities since he took over the U.N.'s top job from Kofi Annan 10 months ago. He discusses the issues that are shaping his tenure, including concerns over the situation in Darfur, climate change and the U.N.'s role in Iraq. Read the Full Transcript Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy. They may contain errors. RAY SUAREZ: Now to the world view of the new secretary-general of the United Nations.When he took over as secretary-general of the United Nations 10 months ago, Ban Ki-moon acknowledged the challenges ahead. BAN KI-MOON, United Nations Secretary-General: I start my duties at a daunting time in international affairs, starting from Darfur to the Middle East, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, North Korea… RAY SUAREZ: Ban's a career diplomat. He was South Korea's foreign minister before taking the U.N.'s reins from Kofi Annan. He's the first Asian to hold the post in 35 years.The Harvard-educated Ban has laid out an ambitious agenda. He's pledged to restore trust in the 192-nation world body hit by scandal in recent years. BAN KI-MOON: I will seek to act as a harmonizer and bridge-builder. RAY SUAREZ: The secretary-general says the U.N. has important skills to offer in Iraq, but security can't yet be guaranteed for his staff. Other top priorities include: stepping up U.N. efforts to stem the violence in Sudan's Darfur region; addressing global climate change issues; and more recently, the secretary-general has been a vocal critic of the military crackdown in Myanmar, also known as Burma.