It has been a confirmed practice at the United Nations to choose a neutral person for key jobs such as D-G of UNESCO or of any of the score of other Agencies, but principally for the top post of S-G itself.

Geographically, all S-Gs have come from small, preferably unaligned countries such as Burma, Austria, Peru, Egypt and today South Korea, never from any of the superpowers or indeed from any member state of the Security Council.

In a cold war situation such as has arisen today, with North Korea joining the nuclear club, can a South Korean provide the UN with that neutrality it so desperately needs to remain credible?

Ban Ki-Moon defines himself as a ?harmoniser and mediator?. May he above all be a neutral arbiter and administrator, fair to both East and West, to both industrialised and developing countries, to both large countries and small island states, and indeed to both North and South( be they Koreas or hemispheres).

With this in mind we wish him many ?moons in office?, for the good of planet earth!

Dr Michael ATCHIA Previously a Programme Director with the United Nations Presently Secretary-General of the Association of Former UNofficials from Mauritius(AFICS-M)