"It's an honour for anyone to have his name being mentioned in positive light. At this moment, I'm not a candidate," said Surin, an executive member of the Democrat Party.

"But the international community has been aware of my keen interest in an international position for some time," added Surin.

According to a diplomatic source, the United States sees Surin as a strong candidate and will discuss his nomination with the UN Permanent-5 members.

Washington sees Surin, a Thai Muslim and an international academic advisor to the Oxford University's Islamic Centre, as one who could help bridge the gap of misunderstanding between the West and the Islamic world amid this ongoing tension.

The former foreign minister has previously worked with the UN on a number of issues and currently serving on the board of the International Labour Organisation's World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalisation and the Commission on Human Security. Both are under UN auspices.

Surin is also a member of the advisory board for the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations, as well as the Brussels-based International Crisis Group, a leading security research group focusing on conflict areas.

The Nation