Asia has again been denied the chance of appointing the next Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Anwaral Chowdhury, president of the UN Security Council, told the BBC's East Asia Today programme that the African incumbent, Kofi Annan, is set to be given a second term in the job. According to the UN's rule of geographical distribution, it was the turn of an Asian national to hold the post. But Mr Chowdhury said Mr Annan's reappointment would benefit Asia because he was committed to working with developing countries. It was actually Asia's turn when Mr Annan was appointed for the first time, because another African, the Egyptian Boutros Boutros Ghali, had already held the post for five years. The last time an Asian was UN secretary-general was in the early 1970s. Mr Chowdhury confirmed that the decision to reappoint Mr Annan was "absolutely sealed and signed". He said the UNSC's recommendation of Mr Annan to the UN General Assembly next week was a mere formality.