CRI听力:Ban Ki-moon sums up legacies at last pre-General Assembly press conference

Ban Ki-moon has taken a few moments to discuss what his legacy as the Secretary General might be at a pre-General Assembly news conference.

"It has been a decade of progress and setbacks alike. The adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on climate change, the establishment of UN women have been among the high points. The inability to resolve several protracted conflicts has been a source of tremendous pain."

Both the 2030 sustainable development goals and the climate change campaign are expected to be high on the agenda of this year's General Assembly.

Ban Ki-moon says the ratification of the Paris Agreement by China and the US earlier this month ranks high among some of the achievements he can be attached to as he leaves office.

In suggesting this, he's also calling on other countries to follow suit, saying he would like to see the pact come into effect before the end of this year.

Discussing the Syrian conflict, the UN chief is calling on the US and Russia to push all warring sides toward ensuring the latest ceasefire holds, saying its critical to allowing safe passage for international humanitarian aid.

"It is essential that intra-Syrian negotiations resume so that Syria's long-suffering people feel a real change in their daily lives. Major countries with influence have a duty to use their influence and seize this latest opportunity to pursue a political solution to end this catastrophic conflict."

The UN Security Council is also set to hold a high-level meeting on Syria this month.

Meanwhile, Ban Ki-moon has also taken time to address issues on the Korean Peninsula.

"It is very important that the UN Security Council should be united and take urgent actions to prevent first of all further provocative actions by North Korea and try to take necessary measures to send a strong message to the authorities of North Korea."

The UN Security Council has been meeting behind closed-doors in an attempt to try to figure out what further measures can be taken wake a fifth nuclear test by North Korea earlier this month.

The Chinese government is on-record saying further measures by the Security Council are necessary.

It also says it will continue to take part in the talks among the Security Council members in a responsible and constructive manner.

Ban Ki-moon's term will come to an end on December 31st.

The process to replace him is heading into its final phase, with the Security Council scheduled to hold another two rounds of straw polls before naming a final candidate for approval by the General Assembly.