Apart from the tense stand-off with Iran, the hot topic among U.N. circles has been the recent sales pitches made by Bill Clinton and Tony Blair for top jobs in the UN.

Former President Bill Clinton's name has been floated as a potential successor to Kofi Annan, secretary general of the United Nations. Of course this sort of move had been on the agenda among Clinton insiders for more than two years.

The whispering in the press began in 2003 and has continued since his recovery from a heart bypass. Clinton has begun to take on a increasingly high profile recently, associated himself with various humanitarian causes. Most notably during the Tsunami relief efforts in South East Asia as well as rebuilding programmes after Hurricane Katriana closer to home.

"He definitely wants to do it," a Clinton insider is quoted as saying.

The term of Kofi Annan, the current U.N. secretary-general, ends this year and according to the report, Clinton's candidacy would receive overwhelming support from U.N. member states, particularly in the Third World. There were suggestions that due to a number of recent corruption scandals (including one which involved his own son!) Kofi Annan might resign before the end of his term in 2006.

Annan took over as U.N. chief in 1997. On the record, he has said he intends to fill out his entire term.

No American has ever been U.N. secretary-general even though the United States serves as host country and the major contributor to its budget.

As already noted, this is not the first time Clinton's interest in the job has been raised.

Back in February of 2003 there were reports of a "major international move" to engineer Clinton into the post. Those reports suggested Clinton had already lined up support for his candidacy for the secretary-general position from Germany, France, England, Ireland, New Zealand, a handful of African states, Morocco and Egypt.

Now after much fanfare, and following a series of lectures made at Georgetown University. It also seems Tony Blair is keeping open the option of a move to New York with his wife Cherie. Angling for a top job at a revamped United Nations after he steps down as Prime Minister, Government sources have indicated.

The Telegraph reported that Downing Street sources have refused to rule out the possibility of a transatlantic switch for the Blairs, which would allow them to be nearer their eldest, Euan, 22, who was recently given a free masters degree course in international relations at Yale University.

"Such a move would not only keep Mr Blair, who is only 53, on the world stage after he quits but also offers money-spinning possibilities for the couple on the lecture circuit, and a glamorous new way of life".

Although that it is seen as "highly unlikely that a Briton would be selected as the next secretary general", and succeeding Kofi Annan, who ends his term on Dec 31, as the job has never gone to a country in the Permanent five: Britain, the US, France, Russia and China.

"Within the UN it is seen as more likely that Blair could fulfil humanitarian roles akin to Clinton's position as special envoy for tsunami relief after the disaster on Boxing Day 2004"

There would also be likely problems, particulary from the Arab representative on the Security Council, to the appointment of the man who, with President George W Bush, invaded Iraq.

But it is clear that Mr Blair, ever the pragmatist is focused on his long term future and will consider any high level United Nations post;

"speculation has grown in diplomatic circles and Whitehall since he outlined his personal blueprint for UN reform in a speech last week at Georgetown University"

As well as discussing ideas on how to beef up the secretary general's powers, he explored creating a new UN environment organisation to handle issues such as climate change and a single UN humanitarian organisation for crisis response

In his view the world's multi-national organisations were completely ill-suited to the 21st century. "Increasingly there is a hopeless mismatch between the global challenges we face and the global institutions to face them," he said.

A former foreign minister said the speech "read very much like a job application".

Another post that may have caught Blair's eye, is that of the permanent president of the European Council of EU leaders. The post was to be created under the EU constitution but has been killed off after No votes in France and the Netherlands.

However, there is broad agreement that the position should still come into being to give the EU clearer policy direction and greater clout on the world stage.

Blair is obviously keeping his options open because of the instability in the Labour Party. Having promised to give Gordon Brown "his likely successor as Labour leader and Prime Minister", sufficient time to settle in before the next election, its now clear he will be forced to bring forward the time of his departure from Downing Street.