UN reform - general
“I want to help create a United Nations for all,…to create a situation where there is a sense of ownership among stakeholders. I’m not just talking about member states, but about NGOs and the private sector. From our experience in Thailand, we know that the private sector has a big role to play. You can get the poor people working with the help of the private sector to alleviate poverty.”

UN reform - management
“The United Nations must become a paragon of good governance. The Secretary-General has to uphold its moral values from the very top. I believe his role in conflict avoidance must be strengthened.”

Candidature
“ A lot of people have asked me why I declared my candidacy so early. I tell them it all comes down to my belief in global good governance, in transparency, in democracy.”

“I wanted everyone to know that I was the candidate so they could talk to me. I have to get to know my constituencies. I’ve met ministers, academics and people from civil society and business. The concerns and priorities are different from region to region. …you need to understand the stakeholders, otherwise you won’t be able to perform preventive diplomacy.”

Asia’s turn
“ It’s time for Asia to have representation at the United Nations to strengthen multilateralism. Asia has many conflicts, we’re talking about the Korean Peninsula, we’re talking about India-Pakistan, we’re talking about the peace process in the Middle East – all major issues of world conflict are in Asia.”

“It’s appropriate to have representation from Asia, from those who know Asia, the one who understands Asia, the one who has worked on the issue of peace, stability and development in Asia, to head the organization.”

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