Secretary General Ban Ki-moon could have used his valedictory speech to the General Assembly for some self-reflection on what he could have done better during his two terms.
Ban Ki-moon delivered his final address as United Nations Secretary General to world leaders gathered for the UN's annual high level General Assembly debate. He highlighted as successes during his two terms in office the UN member states' adoption of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals agenda and the successful negotiation of the Paris Agreement on climate change. The Secretary General then catalogued the many unresolved conflicts and "grave security threats" from Syria to North Africa to North Korea.
Ban Ki-moon blamed the UN member states for blocking needed reforms of the UN itself. He called for member states to "respect the independence of the Secretariat." He added, "When our reports say what needs to be said, Member States should not try and rewrite history."