The UN Security Council will shortly hold another informal ballot, as it nears a decision on who should be the next UN secretary general.
South Korea's foreign minister has won the support of the Security Council's five permanent members in an informal vote on the next UN secretary general.
South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon is the current front-runner after topping three recent straw polls.
Ban Ki-moon was the only one of six candidates to escape a veto in the informal ballot.
The latest colour-coded ballot will reveal who the five permanent members favour - possibly opening up the race to the five other candidates.
The poll is non-binding but, barring a major surprise, correspondents say Mr Ban looks set to take the top role.
Kofi Annan's 10-year term in office ends on 31 December.
The formal vote will take place on Monday. Kofi Annan's 10-year term in office ends on 31 December.
The veto-holding five permanent members will cast ballots of a different colour in this latest vote - blue instead of white.
The BBC's Chris Morris at the UN says if Mr Ban gets five blue ballots in his favour, the contest is all but over. But if one of the permanent members indicates they are not keen on his candidacy, other names could suddenly come to the fore.
'Asia's turn'
In a straw poll on 14 September, Mr Ban was ahead of senior UN official Shashi Tharoor of India and the Thai Deputy Prime Minister, Surakiart Sathirathai.
A recent poll suggested Prince Zeid al-Hussein was in fourth placeJordan's ambassador to the UN, Prince Zeid al-Hussein, is said to have come in fourth place, ahead of Jayantha Dhanapala of Sri Lanka, a former UN disarmament official.
This poll appears to have produced a similar result to the first, held in July.
However, the final decision will take place behind closed doors, with the Security Council having the final say.
Correspondents say a decision is expected soon to give the new chief time to prepare before taking office at the end of the year.
A consensus has developed that it will be Asia's turn to provide a new secretary general, Jordan counting as part of the Asia group at the UN. If Jordan's ambassador were eventually to beat the other candidates, he would be the first Muslim to head the world body.
