The United
Nations and the Rule of Law with His Excellency Ban Ki-moon,
Secretary-General of the United Nations
There is no
CLE credit for this lecture.
As people around the world make increasing claims on their governments
for greater transparency, justice, and human rights, a new banner has
united them: the rule of law. At this historic juncture, newly constituted
governments are looking to the United Nations for assistance in drafting
constitutions, rebuilding justice and security institutions, and bringing
perpetrators of international crimes to justice. The rule of law is at the
very heart of the United Nations mission. The Secretary-General will speak
about why the United Nations is involved in the rule of law field, what
the United Nations has learned over the last two decades of work in this
area, and what changes need to happen to make progress.
About His Excellency Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon is the eighth Secretary-General of
the United Nations. Prior to becoming Secretary-General, Mr. Ban served as
the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Republic of Korea where
his 37 years of service included postings in New Delhi, Vienna, and
Washington, D.C. His ties to the United Nations date back to 1975, when he
worked for the Foreign Ministry’s United Nations Division. His
assignments included serving as Chairman of the Preparatory Commission for
the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization and Chef de Cabinet
during the Republic of Korea’s 2001–02 presidency of the UN
General Assembly. Mr. Ban received a bachelor’s degree in
international relations from Seoul National University in 1970, and a
master’s degree in public administration from the Kennedy School of
Government at Harvard University in 1985.
The Otto L. Walter
Lecture is named after a distinguished
alumnus of New York Law School.
DID YOU KNOW?You
can watch many past lectures as streaming online videos from the
convenience of your computer. Click on some of the lectures below or go to
the Events
Archive page to see a complete list of lectures.
October 3, 2011: The
United Nations and the Rule of Law with His Excellency Mr. Ban
Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations
August 25, 2011:
Islamic Law and Finance: Past Developments, Present
Controversies, Future Prospects with Frank E. Vogel, Founder
and former director, Islamic Legal Studies Program, Harvard Law School;
and independent scholar and consultant on Islamic law