Three of the most widely touted contenders to become the next UN secretary-general face off on Thursday in Davos, in a panel likely to draw considerable attention as the race to succeed Kofi Annan next year gets into gear.

Ban Ki-Moon, the Korean foreign minister, Vaira Vike-Freiberga, the Latvian president, and Jayantha Dhanapala, a Sri Lankan diplomat, will discuss the future of the UN in a panel introduced by Mr Annan and chaired by Ernesto Zedillo, the former Mexican leader.