United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is expected on Wednesday to ask members of the Security Council – chaired this month by South Africa – to step up pressure for the speedy release of Zimbabwe's election results.

According to a transcript of remarks released by the UN, Ban told journalists in New York on Tuesday that a high-level meeting between the UN and the African Union, to be held at the UN on Wednesday, provided a "natural opportunity" to address the situation in Zimbabwe.

The meeting will be chaired by President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa. Prime Minister Gordon Brown of Britain will be among the heads of government attending. Also on Tuesday, Ban's spokeswoman said he had discussed Zimbabwe with President George W. Bush of the United States earlier in the day.

Ban said he would discuss on Wednesday how the UN and the international community "could help the Zimbabwean people and authorities to resolve this issue to the satisfaction and expectation of the international community."

He added: "We need really to see, first of all, very transparent and expeditious release of election results, so that the Zimbabwean people will be able to enjoy the democratic process, and also they should be able to overcome these serious humanitarian difficulties."

The UN-AU meeting will deal with peace and security in Africa. Ban said Darfur and Somalia would also be on the agenda. The South African government statement announcing Mbeki's visit to New York mentions Sudan and Western Sahara, but not Zimbabwe.