New York:A total of 55 highest-ranking UN officials have submitted their resignation tofacilitate the selection of a new team that will work with Secretary General BanKi-moon, who assumed leadership one month back. 

The resignations Thursday included 19 UN undersecretariesgeneral and 36 assistant secretaries general, who were heads of importantdepartments, from peacekeeping to management.

Ban is in the process of forming his team and has alreadyselected Asha-Rose Migiro, the foreign minister of Tanzania, as deputy secretarygeneral, making her the second top authority in the world organisation.

Ban said he would make public the new team after theselection process was completed. Ban, a former South Korean foreign minister,took over the post Jan 1, replacing Kofi Annan of Ghana.

The 55 resignations were those appointed by the former UNsecretary general.