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The tension in the Middle East, deteriorating conditions in Sudan, and North Korea's nuclear row will top his agenda when he takes the helm of the United Nations next year, Secretary-General-designate Ban Ki-moon said Thursday after taking the oath of office.

He will try to facilitate the prolonged negotiations on expanding the U.N. Security Council and consider individual merit as well as geographical balance in appointing senior U.N. officials, Ban said in a news conference.

"I am very concerned, very much concerned with deteriorating situations in the Middle East and elsewhere, in Africa," he said.

"The Middle East question is, of course, the most serious issue we must deal with... I will put priority on this issue."

The former South Korean foreign minister was sworn in on Thursday to take the baton from Kofi Annan on Jan. 1. Saying he was able to "shape some ideas" on how to work since his election two months ago, Ban said he would embark on "Operation Restore Trust."

He assumes his five-year tenure with an organization plagued by scandals and charges of inefficiency. Much of his swearing-in speech addressed establishing the highest ethical standards and injecting confidence into the "sometimes weary secretariat."

The new chief-designate said he intends to personally engage in the Darfur situation. "The suffering of the people of Darfur is unacceptable," he said, pledging to continue to consult closely with concerned states even before his term officially begins.

On North Korea, Ban again urged Pyongyang to abide by its commitments last year to give up its nuclear weapons and programs.

"I, as the secretary-general, will place high priority on this issue," he said. "I will closely follow the development of this situation."

"I will think about my own initiative, what I need to do," he said.

On another nuclear crisis, Iran, he noted the wide implications for the region and the world.

"I urge the authorities of Iran to engage in negotiations," he told reporters.

Ban showed diplomatic deftness as he answered how he saw the relationship between the U.N. and the United States, strained over the years by what Annan called U.S. unilateral actions and what the U.S. saw as a failure of the global body to act quickly in concert.

"The United States is one of the important states," he said.

"We need active support and participation of the U.S.... At the same time, the U.S. also values highly the idealism and goals of the U.N."

Interests of the two parties may sometimes diverge, he said, but it would always be important to resolve differences through dialogue.

Asked to react to Annan's speech earlier this week critical of the U.S., Ban answered, "That, I think was his own personal assessment and insight he gained during his tenure."

One of the key remaining tasks is for him to choose a deputy secretary-general and other senior assistants. Ban said he would prefer a woman as his deputy, although he is looking at a number of candidates.

He expected his first overseas trip will be to the African Union summit meeting in January.

New York, Dec. 14 (Yonhap News)