Don’t forget the politics of Ban Ki-moon’s job

Mr John-Paul O’Driscoll has listed various world conflict areas as reasons why the Secretary General of the United Nations (UN), Ban Ki-moon should not have received the Tipperary International Peace Prize (Letters, Irish Examiner, May 26).

Mr O’Driscoll is overlooking the fact that the UN is a political organisation with veto power retained by the five permanent members of the Security Council.

If the UN Secretary General loses the confidence of any of those permanent member States he cannot function and may be called upon to resign.