Ban Ki-moon buoyed by climate accord but laments conflicts

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Ban Ki-moon ends 10 years at the helm of the United Nations lamenting the "fires still burning" from Syria to South Sudan but buoyed by a global agreement to combat climate change and new U.N. goals to fight poverty and inequality.

[...] in rare criticism of world leaders, he blamed unnamed presidents, prime ministers and monarchs for the turmoil in the world today — and expressed disappointment many care more about retaining power than improving their people's lives.

Even after leaving the U.N., Ban said he will keep urging new and longstanding leaders to embrace the "pre-eminent 21st century fact" — that "international cooperation remains the path to a more peaceful and prosperous world" — and to demonstrate "compassionate leadership."

John Bolton, who was U.S. ambassador to the U.N. when Ban was selected to be secretary-general, said President George W. Bush's administration supported him because "we wanted someone who would do what the member governments wanted" — and not take the lead on issues and act as the world's top diplomat like then-secretary-general Kofi Annan.

When the former South Korean foreign minister, who grew up during the Korean War, took over as secretary-general from Annan at the start of 2007, he promised his tenure would be "marked by ceaseless efforts to build bridges and close divides."

During his first term, he won plaudits for helping move climate change close to the top of the global agenda, for creating UN Women to focus on the fight for gender equality, and for speaking out early and strongly for demonstrators in Tunisia and other countries that rose up in the Arab Spring.