The UN General Assembly has voted unanimously to elect Ban Ki-moon for a second five-year term as the world body’s Secretary General, lauding him for bolstering the organization’s role and visibility in “trying circumstances”.
The 192-nation assembly backed the 67-year-old former South Korean Foreign Minister by acclamation yesterday. Ban’s second term will commence from January 1, 2012.With no contenders to throw a challenge for the post, the assembly approved the new term by consensus. Ban declared his candidature two weeks ago and received the formal backing by the powerful 15-member UN Security Council on Friday. All regional groups at the UN also endorsed him.