As Expected, UN's Ban Ki-Moon Cruises to Second Term

Reuters is reporting that the 192-nation U.N. General Assembly has unanimously reelected U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon to a second five-year term starting in January 2012. You can watch a live U.N. webcast of the celebration here. 

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Ban, who was running unopposed, was widely expected to be reelected given his strong relationship with the big powers on the Security Council, which had already endorsed his bid. Reuters explains that the former South Korean foreign minister has developed a reputation as a staunch ally of the U.S. and its Western allies, and has "managed to keep China happy and placate Russia." He's less popular in the developing world, though, where some consider him a lackey of the U.S., especially on issues such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Reuters adds. The BBC notes that, unlike his outspoken predecessor Kofi Annan, Ban prefers "quiet diplomacy to the bully pulpit" and has "earned a reputation among diplomats as a diligent, hard-working and serious leader, who believes strongly in consensus and harmony."