Visiting U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan said Wednesday that he will announce in March whether he will run for a second term as head of the United Nations.

U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan (left) and Poul Nielson, European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid (center), unveil Wednesday a plaque renaming the the United Nations University Building in Tokyo's Aoyama district the U.N. House.

With his current five-year term expiring at the end of 2001, Annan told a press conference at the Japan National Press Club that the decision to run for a new term is difficult.

Selection of a new U.N. head is a prominent issue on the international agenda this year, with many countries hoping to put forward candidates.

Annan is reportedly enthusiastic about serving another term, but said he did not ask for support or bring the matter up during his latest visits to China and Japan.

"Let me say that I'm not traveling around the region to discuss my future," he said.

On the much-debated issue of reforms to the U.N. Security Council, Annan said Japan's proposal to expand the number of seats to 24 from the current 15 is receiving increasing support from U.N. members.

"My sense is that as of today, most member states are getting toward 24 seats," he said, while being careful to add that no consensus has yet been reached on the matter.

Annan also said he intends to visit North Korea, despite not being able to do so as part of his current trip due to scheduling problems.

"The U.N. should encourage the positive signals which are taking place (on the Korean Peninsula)," he said.

Ogata gets new post

Sadako Ogata, the former U.N. high commissioner for refugees, said Wednesday that she will head a U.N.-related international commission on human security.

The commission, the establishment of which was a Japanese initiative, is designed to make concrete proposals to combat poverty, violence and regional conflicts.

Ogata, who finished her 10-year term at the UNHCR at the end of December, said the plan to set up the Commission on Human Security was formally agreed during her morning talks with visiting U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan.

Although the commission will be an independent body, Annan declared that the U.N. will give the commission its "full support" and will work closely with it, Ogata told a press conference.

Japan established a human security fund at the U.N. in March 1999. The fund supports international organizations that are carrying out projects to deal with regional conflicts and other problems that threaten human lives and dignity. It will also be utilized for the activities of the new commission, Ogata said.

The commission, to be jointly chaired by professor Amartya Sen, Nobel laureate and head of Trinity College, Cambridge, will consist of about 10 experts from around the world.

UNU building renamed

The United Nations University building in Tokyo's Aoyama district was renamed the U.N. House in a ceremony Wednesday, with U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan saying he hopes the facility will provide incentives to advance peace efforts.

In the opening ceremony, Annan stated that he hopes the U.N. House will serve as a portal for the U.N. to "provide the people and the government (of Japan) with a new and imaginative way to advance the course of peace."

The renaming came as part of a continued effort by the U.N. to make the university more open and accessible to the public, according to university officials.

The first and the second floors of the building are configured to host permanent and special exhibitions showcasing the work and values of the U.N.

One such exhibition, on humanitarian emergencies, was also opened by Annan the same day and was organized by the European Union, the seven U.N. agencies that have offices in the U.N. House and the university itself.

In line with Annan's vision to have a U.N. House in each country, more of the Japan offices of U.N. agencies have moved into the university building, the officials said.