1) Don't lose time establishing your own agenda and priorities, whatever the pressure from the Permanent Five. On the question of leadership, the departing Kofi Annan said, "I did it my way so he must find his own way." I know this is easier said than done, especially as you come from a culture that places "consensus-building" and "harmony" above strong individual leadership. But those qualities can serve you ill when the world community is caught on fire over a new crisis in Africa or the Middle East. In the end, what counts will be your own vision and initiatives, not meddling by the Permanent Five. Your reputation as a "slippery eel", earned by carefully avoiding difficult press questions during your tenure as South Korea's foreign minister will serve you no good in this new post. No matter how pressing the need for discretion, turning to opaqueness or inaction in the name of consensus- building will bring you disaster. You build your credibility only with earnestly and integrity when the only world organization remains capable of doing something to prevent or alleviate catastrophes.

2) I know the Security Council reform agenda is close to your heart, but you must avoid being bogged down on that issue. A wise man's committee has already issued a set of recommendations, so let a good consensus on that issue grow. A more pressing concern for a newly installed Security Council is the restoration of the UN's badly damaged credibility over the genocide in Rwanda and the Balkans. Mending that damage will be critical as you focus on Darfur, Iraq, and the Israeli-Palestine conflict. You can do so by fostering more multilateralism through stronger UN involvement in these areas.

3) Devote more time to fighting hunger and poverty in Africa by having the rich nations export the know-how of economic development, not just more food. Here, Korea's own success story should be a good guide. Protection and promotion of human rights is done best by saving millions of people from hunger and privation. At the same time, you should prevail on newly developing countries like South Korea, China, and India to take a stronger stand on the issue of global warming.

4) Finally, stand firm against nuclear proliferation, whether it's in Iran or North Korea. You can be more convincing to Iran by dealing more firmly with North Korea and vice versa. Your own country, South Korea, is lukewarm about implementing UN sanctions against the North. The North Korean question is not just over the issue of proliferation: it's also over the question of how to relieve 22 million people from hunger and bad governance. This same question, manifesting itself in other ways, afflicts much of Africa today.

With that, my best wishes,

Shim Jae Hoon