The General Assembly adopted a resolution by acclamation Friday appointing South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon to succeed Kofi Annan as the next UN secretary general.

When Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa, the assembly president, asked members of the 192-nation world body to adopt the resolution by acclamation, hundreds of diplomats and UN staff in the chamber burst into loud applause. She then banged the gavel saying "it is so decided."

"I have the honor to announce that His Excellency Ban Ki-Moon has been appointed by acclamation secretary-general of the United Nations," she said. "This is a historic day for the organization as it continues to evolve and live up to the values and principles of the (UN) Charter."

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Ban, 62, will become the eighth secretary general in the UN's 60-year history on January 1 when Annan's second five-year term expires. He was one of seven candidates vying to be the UN chief and topped all four informal polls in the Security Council. The council then voted by acclamation to recommend his selection.

Ban will oversee an organization with some 92,000 peacekeepers around the world and a US$5 billion annual budget whose reputation has been tarnished by corruption scandals and whose outdated practices need reform to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

Annan hailed Ban as "a future secretary-general who is exceptionally attuned to the sensitivities of countries and constituencies in every continent" and said he would be "a man with a truly global mind at the helm of the world's only universal organization."

Annan recalled that the first UN secretary-general, Trygvie Lie, told his successor, Dag Hammarskjold, "You are about to take over the most impossible job on Earth."

"While that may be true," Annan said, "I would say: this is also the best possible job on Earth."

He said he had only one piece of advice for his successor when he takes over: "Try to make full use of the unparalleled resource you will find in the staff of the organization. Their commitment is the UN's greatest asset."

The Staff Union, representing over 5,000 staff at UN headquarters, welcomed his appointment, saying in a statement it "provides a fresh start for the organization." The union, which has had rocky relations with Annan, said it looked forward to working closely with Ban and his management team on UN reform.

"We look forward to a new chapter of constructive and collaborative dialogue between staff and management in order to restore the independence and integrity of the international civil service," the union said.

By tradition, the post of secretary-general rotates among the regions of the world and most countries agreed that this time it was Asia's turn. The last Asian secretary-general was Burma's U Thant, who served from 1961-71.

Ban has been South Korea's foreign minister for over 2 1/2 years and served as national security adviser to two presidents - jobs that focused on relations with North Korea which he has said will be a top priority in his new job. During a nearly 40-year diplomatic career, he was posted in India, Austria, Washington and at the United Nations.

Speaking for the United States as the host country of the UN, U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said, "We believe he is the right person to lead the United Nations at this decisive movement in its history, particularly as the UN struggles to fulfill the terms of the reform agenda that world leaders agreed to last fall."