Japanese candidate Yukiya Amano said Thursday he was 'very pleased' after he won the race to head the International Atomic Energy Agency.

"This afternoon I have received the support from 23 countries which is the necessary number of votes to be selected as the next director general of the IAEA," Amano told journalists. "I am very pleased for this support."

Amano scraped through to victory in the sixth round of voting on Thursday, when 23 of the IAEA's 35 board members voted in his favour, 11 voted against and one country abstained.

He had been competing against South African ambassador Abdul Samad Minty.

The election process is not over, however.

Under the rules of procedure, all 145 IAEA member states are to meet again on Friday afternoon where they will formally appoint Amano "by acclamation".

But he will not be officially named until the IAEA's General Conference give its green light in September.

"If I have the privilege of being elected as the new director general of the IAEA, I will do my utmost to enhance the welfare of the human beings and ensure sustainable development through the peaceful use of nuclear energy," Amano said Thursday.

"Also, as a national coming from Japan, I'll do my utmost to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. In order to do that, solidarity of all the member states countries from North, from South, from East and West is absolutely necessary."