South Korea’s foreign minister is now firmly on track to take over as United Nations Secretary General. Ban Ki-moon is due to take over from Kofi Annan, who described the post as “the world’s most impossible job”.

The 15-member Security Council has voted to approve Ban as the UN’s next leader, and in a few days his candidacy will be put to a General Assembly ballot. He would then be due to start his five-year term on the January 1.

The 62-year-old has said he wants to reform the UN, pledging to make less promises but to deliver more concrete results. Ban is said to be a workaholic who divides his daily timetable into five minute segments. His supporters praise his skills as a top class mediator and reject criticism that he lacks the charisma for the job. They describe his diplomatic style as an iron fist in a velvet glove.

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