New York, 10 October 2006 – Member States have been informed that the General Assembly will meet on Friday afternoon, 13 October, regarding the Security Council’s nomination of Ban Ki-Moon.

At least one delegation expects the meeting to be more ceremonial than procedural, with Ban very likely to be approved by consensus. The President of the General Assembly is reportedly meeting with the heads of the regional groups this week to ensure that this will be the case. If a consensus is reached on appointing Ban, the decision will be followed by statements from outgoing Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Ban Ki-Moon.

Another possible scenario is that some Member States would demand a vote in the Assembly meeting so that they can register opposition to Ban’s appointment. This potential opposition could come from members of the G-77 or other developing countries, out of concern that Ban’s priorities will be closer to those of the United States than of developing countries, given the reported strong support for Ban from the United States administration.

It is more likely, however, that Member States will avoid voicing strong opposition to Ban or trying to block his appointment, given the broad support for him in the Security Council. Another delegation source said that it expected no opposition whatsoever, just a quick confirmation. Even in the event of a vote, Ban is expected to have the support of the majority of Member States and be appointed in the GA.

Regardless of whether Ban is confirmed by consensus or a vote, some Member States may take the floor to express their expectations of him as Secretary-General, with a possible emphasis on management reform. States might also comment on the process of selecting the Secretary-General and the need to reconsider the process well before the end of Ban’s term. On this issue, the proposal that the Security Council recommend more than one candidate to the General Assembly for a final decision, which was part of the debate on General Assembly revitalization in the 60th Session, may be raised.

The office of the President of the General Assembly said today that the meeting would be open to observers, unless the GA decides to vote by secret ballot, in which case it will be a closed meeting.