Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has poured cold water on the chances of former prime minister Kevin Rudd getting the top job at the United Nations.
Ms Bishop says she's spoken with several leaders at the global nuclear summit in Washington and while it appeared Mr Rudd had approached some people to express interest, none had indicated support for him.
She said there was a view it was time for a woman to be nominated as the secretary-general and others who believed it was Eastern Europe's turn.
"There's a long way to go before we know who the secretary-general of the United Nations will be in the future," she told reporters in Washington on Saturday.
