Portrait of outgoing U.N. chief Ban unveiled

A large portrait of outgoing U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was unveiled at the U.N. headquarters on Wednesday.

Ban's portrait was placed next to that of his predecessor Kofi Annan on a wall at the lobby of the U.N. secretariat. Ban and his wife, Yoo Soon-taek, pulled blue cloth off the portrait in an unveiling ceremony attended by U.N. officials and diplomats from various countries.

The portrait, painted by South Korean artist Lee Won-hee, depicts Ban wearing a blue tie standing next to a globe with one hand on it, with the U.N. flag behind him. Blue and white are official colors of the United Nations.

Ban is set to leave office after 10 years at the helm of the U.N.

Also Wednesday, the U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution paying tribute to Ban.

"The Security Council ... acknowledges the contribution of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to international peace, security and development, his exceptional efforts to solve international problems in economic, social, environmental and cultural fields, as well as his endeavors to meet humanitarian needs and to promote and encourage respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all," the resolution said.

The council also "expresses its deep appreciation to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his dedication to the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter and to the development of friendly relations among nations," it said. (Yonhap)