But as he progressed down the aisle past the rows of applauding delegates, his grin broadened and his wave emboldened. He had, after all, just been named Friday eighth U.N. secretary-general by acclamation of the assembly.

From what has been said, it appears to be the way the five-year term of the new U.N. chief will begin Jan. 1, 2007 -- modestly. He replaces Kofi Annan, who retires Dec. 31 after two consecutive five-year terms. Although one of the most respected secretaries-general, Annan's administration was tainted by the Iraq oil-for-food scandal.

Still, Ban told the 192-member assembly he would build on Annan's legacy.

"My tenure will be marked by ceaseless efforts to build bridges and close divides. Leadership of harmony not division has served me well so far," he told the assembly. "I intend to stay the course as secretary-general."

Recalling many references of late to his own modesty, Ban said: "Asia is also a region where modesty is a virtue. But the modesty is about demeanor, not about vision and goals. It does not mean the lack of commitment or leadership. Rather, it is quiet determination in action to get things done without so much fanfare.

"This may be the key to Asia's success, and to the United Nations' future," he said. "Indeed, our organization is modest in its means, but not in its values. We should be more modest in our words, but not in our performance."

The last Asian secretary-general was U Thant of Myanmar, the former Burma, who left office in 1971.

The road towards peace, prosperity and dignity for all has many pitfalls, Ban said.

"I will work diligently to materialize our responsibility to protect the most vulnerable members of humanity and for the peaceful resolution of threats to international security and regional stability," he said.

Underlining efforts to reform the United Nations, Ban reminded his audience "reform is not to please others, but because we value what this organization stands for. We need reform because we believe in the future. To revitalize our common endeavor is to renew our faith not only in the U.N.'s program and purposes, but also in each other. We should demand more of ourselves as well as of our organization."

At a brief formal news conference later, Ban outlined challenges he saw facing the world, ranging from the recent nuclear test by North Korea to the humanitarian crisis in Sudan's Darfur region.

But, Ban said, there were "three main areas" he intends to focus on.

"There are daunting challenges to peace, development and human rights," the secretary-general-designate said. "A stark reminder was the nuclear test conducted by North Korea earlier in the week."

The Security Council the following day adopted a resolution imposing sanctions on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, which was immediately rejected by Pyongyang.

"The Iranian nuclear issue, the security and humanitarian crisis in Darfur, the Middle East and conflicts in Africa also call for concerted responses," he said.

Another challenge was what Ban called the "current divisiveness" between member states of the world organization.

"I am very aware of the enormous challenges awaiting the next secretary-general," he said. "I see three areas where concerted action is needed: the first is to rebuild trust among all stakeholders. The second is to stay the course with ongoing reform of the Secretariat management. This is key to the revitalization of the organization... The third is to enhance coherence and coordination.

"The United Nations is simply too overstretched for the limited resources available ... I do believe that there will be room for some realistic steps."

Responding to a question on the Middle East, Ban acknowledged the issue was still unresolved but said he was "basically an optimist" and would do his best to "talk with the countries concerned and leaders in the region."

He said one of his hopes was for a "constructive dialogue" with the media in the years ahead.

He joked with U.N. correspondents about the nickname given to him by some reporters from South Korea, referring to his ability to avoid giving direct answers to questions.

"Some reporters in Korea when I was serving as presidential adviser gave me a nickname, which I may or may not like, as a 'slippery eel.' But I can tell you that all the press corps members in Korea have enjoyed working with me," Ban said.

He explained: "When you serve as a foreign minister or presidential policy adviser, sometimes, even though you may have something in your mind, it would be sometimes very much sensitive to tell everything to the press corps while negotiations are going on. But I always cherish and value the opportunities of engaging with the press corps to give the right directions (on) where the situation is going. This will be my policy."

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