Secretary General of the United Nations

Secretary General of the United Nations
source
Post	Secretary-General
Body	the United Nations
Insigniacaption	Emblem of the United Nations
Incumbent	António Guterres
Incumbentsince	1 January 2017
Department	United Nations Secretariat
Style	His Excellency
Member of	United Nations Secretariat, United Nations Security Council
Reports to	United Nations General Assembly, United Nations Security Council
Residence	Sutton Place, Manhattan
Seat	United Nations Headquarters
Nominator	United Nations Security Council
Appointer	United Nations General Assembly
Termlength	Five years, renewable
Formation	26 June 1945
First	Gladwyn Jebb (acting), Trygve Lie
Website	[https://www.un.org/sg/ www.un.org/sg]

Secretary General of the United Nations is the chief administrative officer of the United Nations and a prominent global diplomat. The role is defined by the United Nations Charter and involves acting as the organization's spokesperson, managing the United Nations Secretariat, and performing functions entrusted by the United Nations Security Council, United Nations General Assembly, and other principal organs. The Secretary-General plays a crucial role in international peace and security, often engaging in preventive diplomacy and good offices to mediate conflicts. The position has been held by nine individuals since the organization's founding, with the current officeholder being former Prime Minister of Portugal António Guterres.

Role and responsibilities

The Secretary-General's duties are outlined in Chapter XV of the United Nations Charter, which designates the office as the chief administrative officer. Key responsibilities include preparing annual reports on the work of the United Nations for the United Nations General Assembly, appointing staff under regulations established by the General Assembly, and bringing matters threatening international peace to the attention of the United Nations Security Council. The role has evolved significantly through practice, with modern Secretaries-General actively engaging in global diplomacy, such as Dag Hammarskjöld's leadership during the Suez Crisis and Congo Crisis. The office also oversees the vast operations of the United Nations Secretariat, including specialized agencies like the World Health Organization and funds such as the United Nations Children's Fund.

Selection and appointment

The selection process for Secretary-General is governed by Articles 97 and 98 of the United Nations Charter. The United Nations Security Council recommends a candidate to the United Nations General Assembly, which then appoints the Secretary-General. A critical, though informal, rule is the principle of regional rotation, with appointments historically alternating among different geographic groups, such as Western Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The Permanent Five members of the Security Council—China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States—hold significant influence, as their consensus is typically required for a recommendation. The term is five years and is renewable, with recent selections, like that of António Guterres, involving more transparent processes with public hearings.

List of Secretaries-General

Since 1945, there have been nine official Secretaries-General, beginning with Trygve Lie of Norway. His tenure was followed by Dag Hammarskjöld of Sweden, whose term was cut short by his death in a plane crash in Northern Rhodesia. U Thant of Burma served during the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Vietnam War. Kurt Waldheim of Austria was succeeded by Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru, who helped end the Iran–Iraq War. Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt was the first from Africa, followed by Kofi Annan of Ghana, who served during the Rwandan genocide and Iraq War. Ban Ki-moon of South Korea focused on climate change, leading to the Paris Agreement. The current Secretary-General is António Guterres of Portugal.

Relationship with the Security Council

The Secretary-General's relationship with the United Nations Security Council is central to the UN's peace and security functions. The Charter requires the Secretary-General to notify the Council of any matter threatening international peace. In practice, this has led to close collaboration, with the Secretary-General often executing mandates from Security Council resolutions, such as overseeing peacekeeping missions in Cyprus or South Sudan. However, the relationship can be contentious, as seen when the United States and the Soviet Union opposed Trygve Lie, or when the United States vetoed a second term for Boutros Boutros-Ghali. The Secretary-General must navigate the political interests of the Permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, balancing diplomatic independence with the need for Council support.

Challenges and criticisms

Secretaries-General face numerous challenges, including limited formal power, reliance on member state cooperation, and the constraints of great power politics. Criticisms often focus on the office's perceived inability to prevent major conflicts, such as the Bosnian War or the Syrian civil war, and bureaucratic inefficiencies within the United Nations Secretariat. The selection process is frequently criticized for opacity and influence from the Permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. Other challenges include managing reform efforts, responding to humanitarian crises like those in Yemen or the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and addressing global issues such as climate change and pandemics, which require consensus among diverse member states like China, India, and the United States.

Category:United Nations