Former prime minister Kevin Rudd has taken a new key post with a global agency in a move that will further stoke speculation he has the role of UN Secretary-General in his sights.

Mr Rudd has been appointed chair of the global sanitation and water partnership Sanitation and Water for All (SWA), whose goal is to achieve universal access to sanitation and safe drinking water.

Kevin Rudd has been appointed chair of a global sanitation and water partnership. Credit:Glenn Hunt

The agency partners with more than 90 governments, organisations and development bodies, including the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Development Program.

UNICEF published a statement overnight welcoming the appointment saying the former Labor prime minister "brings to the position leadership, passion, drive and enthusiasm, which will be crucial as we strive to meet the sanitation, water, and hygiene goals in the new 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda".