UNI

United Nations, Dec 15: The 192-member General Assembly has sworn in Ban Ki-moon as the new Secretary-General, while paying a glorious tribute to incumbent Kofi Annan, who steps down on December 31 at the end of his 10-year tenure.

Ban will take over his new responsibility on January 1.

Meanwhile, both Annan (68) from Ghana, and Ban, a former South Korean Foreign Minister, described security, development and human rights as the three pillars of the United Nations.

Escorted by the UN chief of protocol, Ban left the well of the Assembly to mount the podium. He then took the oath of office as the UN world body's Secretary-General. The oath was administered by Assembly President Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa.

Earlier, by acclamation the Assembly adopted a resolution of tribute for Annan who, in the words of Sheikha Haya, has devoted his life to the world organization.

"His career has been unique," she said, adding, "He has risen through the ranks of the United Nations and devoted his life's service to the organization. So, today we are not only bidding farewell to the current Secretary-General, but also to one of the longest serving officials of the United Nations." She stressed that Mr Annan has stood at the helm as the United Nations has become a more effective globally and demands for its services have grown over the past 10 years.

"We are grateful to Kofi Annan for having set out a far-reaching reform framework to make the organisation more relevant to the people of the world: a United Nations that lives to serve humanity and the principles of multilateralism,'' Sheikha Haya declared.

In response Annan citing UN reforms noted that despite many difficulties and some setbacks in the past decade, "We have achieved much that I am proud of. It became more transparent, accountable and responsive," he declared.

"UN also began to better address the needs of individuals worldwide. It faced emerging threats, as well as familiar ones, head-on and it internalised the notion that development, security and human rights must go hand in hand." Swearing in Ban, Sheikha Haya underscored his commitment to ensure that the United Nations lives up to its universal values and principles.

She, further, pledged the Assembly's readiness to work in close cooperation with Ban Ki Moon and said, "I am confident that leading by example Ban Ki Moon has what it takes to make a great contribution to the organisation and the global public that it lives to serve."

Later, Ban (62) pledging to seek the highest ethical standards set by his predecessor's leadership in guiding the UN through challenging times said, "It is an honour to follow in your revered footsteps as I am succeeding in what you have described as 'the world's most exalting job'."  He also stressed that one of his core tasks will be "to breathe new life and inject renewed confidence into the sometimes weary Secretariat"  and improve human resource management, underlining the UN needs a "dynamic and bold"  Secretariat, instead of a "passive and fearful" one.

Ban, who will oversee the UN's 5 billion dollar budget and 92,000 peacekeepers, is the first Asian to lead the world body in 35 years after U Thant of Myanmar.