There are many reasons for welcoming the re-election of Mr Kofi Annan as United Nations Secretary-General, which is expected to go through without opposition at the General Assembly in New York today. Coming in the wake of his unanimous renomination by the Security Councill, it indicates that this international civil servant has political and diplomatic skills of a high order.
All told, it has been a good week for Mr Annan. He was the driving force behind the three-day special session of the General Assembly on HIV/AIDS which attracted wide media attention and will hopefully inspire the international community to tackle the causes and effects of this devastating disease - the plague of modern times.
The post of UN Secretary-General has increased in importance with the ending of the Cold War. The holder of this high position has to be seen to act as a referee between the one remaining and predominant superpower - the United States - and the rest of the world. There are vocal elements in US political life which would wish to sever all but the most tenuous links with the UN, which would be a disaster for the world body and its member-states. At the same time, overweening US influence at the UN would not be a healthy development and would lead to a decline in the organisation's credibility as an honest broker.
Mr Annan has shown himself adept at keeping the Americans engaged, although this has led to inevitable criticisms that he hews too closely to Washington's line. His second term gives him an opportunity to silence the doubters by demonstrating beyond argument that he is his own man.
By all accounts, there will be a warm welcome for Mr Annan's re-election in Irish political, diplomatic and military circles. As a former head of UN peacekeeping operations, he knows and appreciates the value of the Irish contribution in this area, considering our modest military resources. At a political and diplomatic level, his own approach has much in common with the Irish tradition of making progress by finding a middle way between the big powers and the smaller states.
He should have the co-operation of all member states and their citizens in his endeavours.