Former South African judge Navi Pillay has been asked to stay on as the UN's high commissioner for human rights.
Pillay’s four-year term as head of the UN human rights monitoring operation ends this year.
Ban’s office said on Monday that the UN secretary general had proposed that the 193-member UN General Assembly to vote the extension for the former South African judge.
“The secretary general is pleased that he was able to prevail on Ms Pillay, subject to General Assembly approval, to stay on as high commissioner for human rights for two more years,” said a statement released by Ban’s office.
Ban “trusts the General Assembly will approve this extension”.
Pillay has taken a leading role in speaking out on the need to protect civilians in Libya, Syria and other Arab uprising countries in recent months. – Sapa-AFP