Ex-New Zealand PM to succeed Turkish head of UN po

U.N. spokeswoman Michele Montas told a press briefing that Ban had asked the U.N. General Assembly to confirm Clark, 59, as the new UNDP administrator for a four-year term, AFP reported.

If confirmed, she will replace Kemal Dervis, a former Turkish cabinet minister, who headed UNDP from August 2005 to February 2009.

Dervis stepped down at the end of last month, citing personal reasons. Since then, the agency has been run by Dervis's deputy, Ad Melkert of the Netherlands.

The UNDP, which has a budget of about $5 billion, is in charge of the U.N. global development work.

Clark served in New Zealand’s parliament for more than 27 years and restored unity to a divided Labor Party after taking over the leadership in 1993.

She proved to be a strong manager of the country from 1999, although her sometimes dour style saw her first administration dubbed "Helengrad."

She would have become Labor’s longest-serving prime minister if she had been able to hold on to power until August this year.