Winds Of Change Blowing At U.N.

(CBS/AP)  South Korea's foreign minister appears almost certain to succeed Kofi Annan as secretary-general of the United Nations, after an informal poll revealed that he had the near unanimous support of the U.N. Security Council, including its five veto-wielding members.

If Ban Ki-Moon, 67, is chosen as expected in a formal vote set for Oct. 9, his selection will have been marked by unprecedented speed, consensus and calm. In years past, secretaries-general including Annan were picked after drawn-out, often rancorous negotiations, numerous ballots and handshake deals.

An informal straw poll Monday saw the 15 U.N. Security Council nations check one of three boxes for each candidate in the secret ballot: "Encourage," "discourage," and "no opinion." For the first time, the five permanent members of the council - Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States - were given blue ballots to show whether they would veto a candidate.

Ban received 14 votes in favor and one "no opinion" ballot cast by one of the 10 rotating members of the council, while each of the other five candidates received at least one no vote from a veto-wielding member, all but dooming their chances.

"By virtue of the selection process, the U.N. Secretary General candidate is usually the least offensive to Security Council members and therefore not particularly strong or outspoken," says CBS News Foreign Affairs Analyst Pamela Falk. "The next Secretary General will have to balance some weighty international crises while he restores confidence that the U.N. can actually do something when action is necessary. Mr. Ban has made it clear that a resolution of the Middle East conflict and the North Korean standoff are priorities."

Diplomats announced that the Security Council would probably hold a formal vote to pick the eighth secretary-general in the United Nations' 60-year history on Oct. 9, making Ban's appointment almost assured. The 192-nation General Assembly must approve the council's recommendation, and traditionally does so without protest.

"It is quite clear that from today's straw poll that Minister Ban Ki-Moon is the candidate that the Security Council will recommend to the General Assembly," China's U.N. Ambassador Wang Guangya said.

The news is getting a friendly reception from another important South Korean important neighbor: Japan.

"We've been saying all along that (the next candidate) should come from Asia, so it's good," Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso told Kyodo News, a few hours before Japan took another step toward Asian solidarity – agreeing to summits with China and South Korea set for Oct. 8 and 9.

At the U.N. Monday, Ban's support solidified as the one candidate who was his biggest known threat, U.N. Undersecretary-General Shashi Tharoor of India, announced he is dropping out of the race because Ban is the obvious winner.

"It is a great honor and a huge responsibility to be secretary-general, and I wish Mr. Ban every success in that task," Tharoor said.

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