Rotary International crucial ally in advancing UN’s goals – Ban Ki-moon

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has hailed members of Rotary International as allies in advancing the work of the United Nations through their global efforts in support of initiatives for health, literacy and poverty eradication.

“You have helped people understand what the UN is, what it does, and what it can do,” Mr. Ban told those gathered for the Rotary International Day programme held at UN Headquarters in New York on 3 November. “Ever since the United Nations was founded, you have been a wonderful partner to our organization.”

In a message delivered by Deputy Chef de Cabinet Kim Won-soo, the Secretary-General noted that Rotarians have been the UN’s “chief ally” in the mission to eradicate polio worldwide, helping to immunize almost two billion children around the world against the highly infectious, often paralyzing and sometimes fatal disease.

Rotary International has also worked with the UN to spread literacy and eradicate poverty, as well as sought to spread peace through its exchange programmes.

In those and other ways, Mr. Ban said Rotarians have advanced the work to reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – the set of ambitious targets the world has set itself for slashing poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy and other social ills by 2015.

He added that in his own native Republic of Korea, the Secretary-General has seen the remarkable work Rotary International has done in supporting the country for the past 80 years.