New York: Indian-origin South African judge Navanethem Pillay, born in Durban to a bus driver, has been appointed the new UN High Commissioner of Human Rights.

Pillay, 67, is to succeed Louise Arbour of Canada who completed her five-year term June 30.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has told the General Assembly his intention to appoint Pillay, who has served since 2003 as a judge on the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.

Pillay was nominated after "an extensive selection process" which included consultations with member states and with the broad-based NGO community, Ban's spokesperson said Thursday.

"The secretary-general is committed to ensuring that human rights remain high on the agenda of the organisation. He expects that the new high commissioner will preserve the independence of her office and will maintain effective working relations with the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council," the spokesperson said.

Ban is "determined to fully support Pillay in carrying out her work, including with increased resources, as approved by the General Assembly", the spokesperson added.