New York, 9 October 2006 – The Security Council formally voted on the Secretary-General on Monday morning, 9 October. It decided to recommended Ban Ki Moon to the position for a term of five years: from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2011.

Security Council President Kenzo Oshima of Japan told reporters after the vote that he had asked the President of the General Assembly for “prompt steering of the appointment process.”

Oshima was asked about the significance of the Council’s decision to recommend Ban after a reported nuclear test by North Korea the night before. Oshima responded that Ban’s current role as the foreign minister of South Korea “is an asset in dealing with the situation in the Korean Peninsula that we are now facing.” French Permanent
Representative Jean-Marc de La Sablière said that Ban had “shown that he had the real will … to deal with this crisis.”

The detailed results of the vote were not shared in the press statements immediately following the recommendation.

Ban Ki Moon was the only candidate remaining on the ballot as of Friday afternoon, 6 October, after the six other candidates withdrew beginning with Shashi Tharoor on 2 October.

The next step in the appointment process is for GA president Al Khalifa to convene a discussion during which Member States will have the opportunity to comment in support of or opposition to Mr. Ban’s nomination. A simple majority in favor of Ban will lead to his appointment, unless the Assembly decides to require a 2/3 majority.