The United Nations will resume later today what it said were intensive consultations over who should head the proposed new arms inspection body in Iraq.

The UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, said the process had become more complicated than he had expected.

He added that he hoped to announce a name before the Sunday deadline, set by the UN last month.

Diplomats in New York said one candidate, the former chief arms inspector, Rolf Ekeus, has apparently been rejected because of fears that he would not enjoy the cooperation of the authorities in Iraq. Correspondents say it's not an easy task as the Security Council has been deeply divided over the issue of Iraqi sanctions.

Iraq says it has destroyed all its weapons of mass destruction and the UN resolution establishing the arms control commission is unacceptable.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service