[JURIST] The United Nations General Assembly [official website] appointed South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon [official profile] as the next UN secretary-general [official website] on Friday. Ban, a career diplomat, is set to succeed Kofi Annan [official profile] when the two-term secretary-general steps down on December 31, 2006. Ban was nominated [JURIST report] by the UN Security Council [official website] on Monday and the 192-member General Assembly on Friday adopted a resolution [recorded video] confirming Ban's appointment by loud acclamation.

The secretary-general selection process [BBC backgrounder] includes an informal continental rotation scheme that generated seven Asian candidates [official list] for the post. The UN Charter [text] requires the General Assembly to elect the secretary-general by majority vote or acclamation after receiving a recommendation from the Security Council. The UN News Service has more. AP has additional coverage.