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Obama backs Ban Ki-moon for new term as U.N. chief


    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama supports U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's bid for a second term and believes he has made important reforms at an institution that is imperfect, the White House said on Tuesday.

    Obama's backing will be a valuable boost to Ban, 66, in his drive for a second five-year term, which he looks almost certain to win.

    "Under Ban's leadership, the United Nations has played a critical role in responding to crises and challenges across the globe," White House spokesman Jay Carney said in a statement.

    Carney cited U.N. efforts to support democratic transitions in Ivory Coast and earthquake-hit Haiti, a referendum on South Sudan's self-determination and efforts to resolve the political and humanitarian crisis in Libya.

    "The United Nations is an imperfect but indispensable institution," Carney said. "The secretary-general has made important reforms, such as increasing the hiring of women to senior posts and proposing the deepest reduction in the U.N.'s budget in more than a decade."

    Ban, whose first term ends on December 31, is unopposed for re-election so far.

    (Reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by John O'Callaghan)