Watch the second part of the Talk of Paris with Ban Ki-moon.

Ulysse Gosset:  Welcome and thank you for joining us for this new edition of the Talk of Paris.

Of course nobody wants to imagine the possibility of another Cold War, but a dangerous rift occurred this summer in the Caucasus. Could the war between Georgia and Russia only be a prelude to more conflicts? Our guest is UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, speaking to us on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. Good afternoon, Mr. Secretary General.

Ban Ki-moon:  Bonjour ! Good afternoon.

Joining us live from New-York, our correspondent Philippe Bolopion. Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, do you think the crisis we experienced this summer is the most serious one since the end of the Cold War? Are we at a turning point  - can today’s tensions lead to a new Cold War ?

I can’t even imagine the possibility of that happening. The world, as you well know, has evolved since the end of the Cold War. We shouldn’t jump to hasty conclusions after this summer’s events in Georgia, nor should we oversimplify recent developments. I think leaders across the world should work together so as not to repeat the mistakes of our past.

But doesn’t the UN Security Council risk being paralyzed because of this summer’s tensions?

The Security Council has been playing its role under the United Nations Charter and its mandate to maintain peace and stability in the international community. Sometimes it has had positive discussions and sometimes it has not been able to agree on an issue, as we have seen over these past days. But we should not be overly pessimistic about this. Let us try to resolve all the issues through dialogue, in a peaceful manner.

Secretary General, are you concerned that we might be held hostage in this crisis, and pulled in two different directions by two different blocs? 

It is very important that all Member States – particularly members of the Security Council – should engage in dialogue. There have been many diplomatic initiatives. President Sarkozy has met with President Medvedev. Other European Union countries and the United States have also taken initiative. I myself have been in contact almost daily with world leaders, and particularly with leaders involved in the situation in Georgia. The United Nations will continue to play its role facilitating dialogue between parties to resolve all the issues peacefully.

Aren’t you worried by the resurgence of multiple declarations of independence ? I’m thinking of Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Kosovo…. Is there a risk that the world will experience a large-scale ‘Balkans syndrome’?

The recognition of a declaration of independence is something that has to be determined by the United Nations’ member states. As the Secretary General of the United Nations, I am not in a position to comment on anything. What I have been doing and will continue to do is to engage in dialogue with the concerned parties to promote dialogue, to facilitate dialogue as much as I can. I am going to take part in an international conference in Geneva on October 15 to discuss the situation in Georgia.

The situation in Georgia has many more implications, and much wider implications, affecting peace and security in the region. We must reach a harmonious resolution. The United Nations through its mission  UNMIC has been contributing to peace and stability there for the past 15 years and we will continue to do so.

But isn’t the example of Kosovo quite typical? You have this sort of de-facto independence and the United Nations is legally bound by the Security Council to take action in Kosovo. Now you are transferring powers to the European Union, so to speak. How can you get out of these contradictions?

You should not oversimplify the issues. You should not generalize all the situations. Every issue and every conflict has its own backdrop. As far as Kosovo is concerned, the United Nations has been administrating it over the past 10 years, under a Security Council resolution and mandate. Under Security Council resolution 1244, I have proposed my package to bring peace and stability to that region. Considering the Security Council’s dynamics and [inaudible] to agree on a formula there.

Is it true that Moscow has been exerting huge pressure on you not to recognize or approve of Kosovo’s independence? Some people have even said that it went as far as threatening you with blocking a second term. Is this true?

The independence of Kosovo, again, is something that has to be determined by Member States. The UN and the UN Secretary General as such are not in a position to talk about independence or to recognize any State. I made that quite clear when Kosovo declared independence.

You have shown a presence in this crisis as a mediator. Don’t you want to go further and issue a sort of warning, a plea for moderation, to avoid an uncontrolled proliferation of breakaway regions and declarations of independence around the world? Does this concern you? How are you going to react?

What I am concerned about are the wider political and security implications that these situations may spur in the region. That is why I have been discussing the matter almost on a daily basis, with all the leaders of the concerned parties, since the outbreak. And I have made it quite clear, from the beginning, that the United Nations stands ready to play a facilitating role. I have dispatched a humanitarian assistance team to South Ossetia. They will visit Gori and Tbilisi to observe the humanitarian and human-rights situations firsthand. I am going to continue to do that, and I am going to engage in in-depth dialogue with the world leaders about the framework and modalities for international mechanisms to ensure peace and stability there.

Europe was very active this summer in trying to resolve the crisis, in particular under Nicolas Sarkozy’s presidency. Can you comment on this? Were you surprised by Nicolas Sarkozy’s dynamism and fast reaction?

I appreciate President Sarkozy’s very dynamic and active diplomatic initiative to bring peace and stability in the region. He is now Acting President of the European Union. This initiative has been widely appreciated. I have been discussing this matter with French Government officials. I am going to meet with President Sarkozy next week when he comes to New York to attend our General Assembly.

He is now the President of France and the President of the European Union. He has a very heavy and historical responsibility to ensure peace and stability in that region. He reached a good agreement in Georgia when he met President Medvedev (now known as the Six-Point Peace Plan). We must implement this Six-Point Peace Plan and the International Conference which is scheduled to take place on October 15 in Geneva will provide a very important occasion to do so. Before that, I am going to convene permanent members of the Security Council for a P5 Ministerial meeting in New York. I hope that we will be able to discuss the detailed framework and modalities there. That will provide a good basis for discussions in Geneva….

So, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, you are almost half-way through your mandate as UN Secretary General. It is customary for us to show our audience a career portrait of our guest. Let us now take a look at yours, written and narrated by our correspondent Philippe Bolopion.

Ban Ki-moon is a man on the move. Since he took over in January 2007, this South Korean diplomat has been relentlessly crisscrossing the globe. At every international conference, he is on the front line in the fight against global warming. He’s a spokesman for the poorest of the poor (as in Burma, where he convinced the military junta to open up to military aid in the wake of Cyclone Nargis).

Born in 1944 into a family of farmers, he was exposed to poverty from a young age. A career diplomat in Seoul’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he climbed all the way up to become Foreign Minister. Married, with three children, Ban Ki-moon readily admits he has few outside interests. Since succeeded Kofi Annan, the new UN Secretary General has worked all hours. But now that he is almost half way through his first term in office, the honeymoon period is definitely over. On 7 September, one of Spain’s main newspapers, El Pais, ran this headline about him: “The Invisible Man”. The article accuses him of being more Secretary than General, unknown to the wider world, and on the sidelines of all recent international crises. “False,” respond Ban’s closest advisors, “yes, his style is different, shying away from grandiose speeches,” they say, “but his work is best carried out working behind the scenes,” they insist. Underneath the affable exterior lies a steely determination. For example, they claim, in private, he doesn’t hesitate to stand up to Sudanese President Umar al-Bashir in spite of his continued defiance of the UN. Invisible to some, discreet but efficient to others. History will be the judge.

Secretary General, what did you think when you saw the title “The invisitble man” ? Did it make you smile?

Well, I expect that my activities and performance should be closely examined and, sometimes, constructively criticized. I know that I cannot be totally free from such detractors or criticism. The particular article that you mentioned needs some rebuttals but I think that it reflects the fact that reporters missed the bigger picture. My direct involvement, as Secretary General of the United Nations, and my engagement with leaders in the many parts of the world – Myanmar, Darfur, Kenya, Zimbabwe and my visit to Antarctica – more than show how much I am committed to resolving all global issues, all regional country issues, and all development-related issues. There may be some differences in style and in diplomacy. Different circumstances require different leadership styles. When necessary, you may engage in direct and even confrontational public diplomacy. But, sometimes, it is necessary – and much more effective – to be engaged behind the scenes.

I may be criticized as an “Invisible Man” but I will continue to do so, based on the diplomatic experience that I have acquired over the past almost four decades. I have achieved many considerable strides forward through tête-à-tête meetings, with this “invisible”, behind-the-scenes approach. If you look at history, you will see many such diplomatic achievements. So you should not base your judgment on one criterion. One’s performance will be judged by historians once one retires. I am open to any constructive criticism and constructive suggestions. At the same time, I need support and encouragement from Member States. Whatever I do should be encouraged in a positive way. This is what I can do. As far as the UN reform is concerned, you will see a big difference in working styles and working cultures. The reform has done a lot to make this organization much more effective, transparent, accountable and mobile. This is my commitment and I am going to continue doing my job as Secretary General.