The UN Basically Just Made Jon Stewart Their Next Peacekeeper

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Considering the amount of devastation that’s plaguing the world right now, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon needs to be prepared for disaster to strike at any moment. That’s probably why he came armed with a peacekeeping helmet to his "Daily Show" interview on Tuesday night.

Ban talked with Jon Stewart about the obstacles the U.N. faces in trying to at once address the crises of civil war in Syria, the terrors of Boko Haram in Nigeria and ISIS in Iraq, and the continuous spread of Ebola throughout West Africa.

But Ban was also quick to recognize that Stewart faces his own threats when he conducts "difficult interviews," and handed him a UN peacekeeping helmet to keep him safe on set.

"Is this your way of telling me I’m being shipped out somewhere?" the late night show host asked.

What distresses Ban the most about trying to bring peace to such a fraught world is the dissension among member states in the U.N.

But despite all the atrocities he’s seen, the secretary-general continues to remain hopeful.

He beseeched the world to put political ideologies aside in the "name of humanity," and reminded citizens, especially young people, just how much influence they wield.

"Some people think the president has all the power," Ban said. "It’s the people -- the civil society, NGOs -- they now have more power, more of a voice. Young people should raise their voices [and say] 'Mr. President. This is my world. I’m going to live in this world, so please make this world safe and prosperous … where everybody’s human dignity is respected.'"

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