Ban Ki-moon is the 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations (January 2007 to December 2016). Throughout his tenure, Ban’s priorities have been to mobilize world leaders around a set of new global challenges, from climate change and economic upheaval to pandemics and increasing pressures involving food, energy and water. Ban has also made major efforts to strengthen UN peace operations, protect human rights, improve humanitarian response, prevent violent extremism and revitalize the disarmament agenda. He led the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and the establishment of UN Women. A lifelong diplomat, he was the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade at the time of his appointment to the UN.