Ban Ki-moon, the South Korean foreign minister, emerged as almost certain to become the United Nations’ next secretary general after winning close to unanimous support in the Security Council.

In what is now expected to be the Council’s last straw poll, which for the first time differentiated between the five veto-wielding powers and the 10 elected members, Mr Ban won 14 ‘encouragements’, and one ‘no opinion’, with all permanent members in favour.