UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is in Brazil on Thursday and he is expected to take part in the Olympic torch relay on Friday, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

"The secretary-general has just arrived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where he will attend the opening of the Olympic Games and participate in the Olympic torch relay tomorrow," Dujarric said at a daily news briefing here.

"He will soon be paying a visit to the Olympic Village, where he will meet with the Refugee Olympic Team," the spokesman said. "And this evening, he will meet with the president of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach."

The Olympic torch arrived in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday by boat after a three-month tour of Brazilian cities.

The 2016 Summer Olympics will kick off in Brazil on Friday and will run through Aug. 21.