Our People

Mr Ban Ki-moon

Bynum Tudor Fellow

Deputy Chair of The Elders, former Secretary General of the United Nations

Ban Ki-moon is a South Korean diplomat and former foreign minister who served as the eighth secretary-general of the United Nations from January 2007 to December 2016. Throughout his career, Ban Ki-moon has worked to mobilise international efforts to combat climate change, extreme poverty, and armed conflict, seeking to make the world safer and more equitable.

As secretary-general of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon played a major role is securing the Paris Climate Agreement, and promoting the Sustainable Development Goals.

Regarding his appointment, Mr Ki-moon commented “I’m delighted to have been honoured by an Oxford College which shares my passions for social and environmental sustainability, tackling climate change and promoting international human rights.”

Ban Ki-moon is currently Deputy Chair of The Elders.