UNESCO head Irina Bokova has said she does not see "any obstacle" for the next UN Secretary-General to be a woman.

Bokova said in an interview with the Associated Press it was "time for a woman to become secretary-general. Definitely".

The agency's text is titled "Bulgarian as 1st Woman UN Chief?" and comes amid other media reports pointing to Bokova as a strong contender.

In 2009, Bokova became the first female and Eastern European to head UNESCO, the United Nations' cultural agency.

The issue is emerging onto the global agenda as the international body is due to pick is next chief to take over from Ban Ki-Moon, whose second term expires in 2016.

However, Bokova did not explicitly say she was a candidate.

At the same time she argued "it's an understanding by governments and NGO's" to have a female UN head.

Eastern Europe is also the most likely region to produce the next UN Secretary-General, since the rotation principle saying different continents and regions have to take turns in sending chiefs of the organization.  

But AP underscores the fact that, even though "some believe Bokova, who ticks both boxes [female and Eastern European], would have more than a fighting chance," there are other candidates as well, such as Lithuania's President Dalia Grybauskaite and Bulgarian EU Commission Vice-President for Budget and Human Resources Kristalina Georgieva.

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