New York  - US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton may have lost out on her bid last year for the Democratic presidential nomination, but she briefly got to be "Madam President" on Wednesday while presiding over the UN Security Council.

Clinton delivered a speech to the 15-nation council and ended with, "I resume now my function as president of the council."

"I kind of like being a president," Clinton said as the council chamber bust into laughter.

"So this may go on a little longer than anticipated!" she said.

She introduced UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, the next speaker. who acknowledged: "Thank you Madam President."

Clinton presided over the council meeting because the United States held its rotating one-month presidency in September, which ended on Wednesday. The council was convened to adopt a resolution to fight rape as a war tactic.

Clinton ended her quest for the US presidency last June after her opponent and then fellow US senator, Barack Obama, won the Democratic nomination after a gruelling months-long series of state-by-state primary elections to chose who would represent the party in November general elections. Obama went on to beat Republican John McCain for the presidency.  dpa