Johannesburg - South Africa on Friday welcomed the nomination by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon of South African judge Navanethem Pillay for the position of UN high commissioner for human rights.
Foreign Affairs spokesman Ronnie Mamoepa said South Africa congratulated Pillay on being nominated to replace outgoing high commissioner, Canada's Louise Arbour, whose term ended at the end of June.
While Pillay has yet to be discussed by the UN General Assembly at a session on Monday, her accession to the top rights post is seen as a formality following extensive discussions at the UN level.
The role of the high commissioner is to defend human rights worldwide.
New York - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Friday sent a "warm welcome" to the decision by Cypriot leaders to restart full- fledged peace talks in September for a comprehensive solution to the ethnically divided island.
New York - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Monday welcomed an assessment for future international humanitarian assistance to Myanmar following the devastation by cyclone Nargis in May.
Berlin - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has emphatically denied reports he expressed concern over moves to issue an international arrest warrant against Sudanese President Omar Beshir for genocide in Darfur.
New York - The United Nations respects the decision by the 
