Secretary-General (UN)

Secretary-General (UN)
Post	Secretary-General of the United Nations
Body	United Nations
Flagcaption	Flag of the United Nations
Incumbent	António Guterres
Incumbentsince	1 January 2017
Style	His/Her Excellency
Residence	UN Secretary-General's residence
Seat	United Nations Headquarters
Appointer	United Nations General Assembly
Reports to	United Nations Security Council
Constituting instrument	United Nations Charter
Formation	24 October 1945
Inaugural	Trygve Lie

Contents

Secretary-General (UN) The Secretary-General is the chief administrative officer and public face of the United Nations, serving as a diplomat, spokesperson, and manager who engages with member states, regional organizations, and international institutions. The office mediates disputes, conducts good offices, and administers the UN Secretariat while interacting with bodies such as the United Nations Security Council, United Nations General Assembly, International Court of Justice, and regional organizations like the African Union and the European Union. The post was established by the United Nations Charter in 1945 and has been held by influential figures including Dag Hammarskjöld, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Kofi Annan, and Ban Ki-moon.

Role and responsibilities

The Secretary-General performs functions defined by the United Nations Charter and developed through practice, including acting as chief administrative officer of the United Nations Secretariat, providing mediation and good offices between states and parties to conflicts such as during the Suez Crisis and the Congo Crisis, and reporting to organs like the United Nations General Assembly and the United Nations Security Council. The office issues annual and special reports to bodies including the Economic and Social Council, International Court of Justice, UN Human Rights Council, and specialized agencies such as the World Health Organization, UNESCO, International Labour Organization, Food and Agriculture Organization, and United Nations Children's Fund. The Secretary-General represents the UN at international conferences such as the Conference on Disarmament, Rio Earth Summit, UN Climate Change Conferences, and the World Summit on Sustainable Development.

The Secretary-General is appointed by the United Nations General Assembly upon the recommendation of the United Nations Security Council and typically serves a five-year term renewable by reappointment, as exemplified by successive terms of Kofi Annan and Ban Ki-moon. Candidates often receive informal endorsements from regional groups like the Group of 77, the African Union, the Organization of American States, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The selection process involves hearings with United Nations Member States, interactions with permanent members such as United States, United Kingdom, China, France, and Russia, and consultations with bodies like the Commonwealth of Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement.

The Secretary-General's powers derive from the United Nations Charter and precedents set by officeholders such as Dag Hammarskjöld and Trygve Lie; powers include agenda-setting in the United Nations General Assembly, initiating reports and studies for the Security Council, and deploying UN peacemaking resources through the Department of Peace Operations and the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs. Limitations arise from the need for consent from member states, budgetary control by the United Nations General Assembly and the United Nations Security Council, and veto influence of the Security Council permanent members including China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, and United States. The Secretary-General's authority is constrained in operations such as UNPROFOR, MONUC, UNAMID, and mandates set by specialized organs like the UN Human Rights Council and the International Criminal Court.

Since 1945 the post has been occupied by figures from diverse regions: Trygve Lie (Norway), Dag Hammarskjöld (Sweden), U Thant (Burma), Kurt Waldheim (Austria), Javier Pérez de Cuéllar (Peru), Boutros Boutros-Ghali (Egypt), Kofi Annan (Ghana), Ban Ki-moon (South Korea), and António Guterres (Portugal). Notable milestones include Hammarskjöld's development of "good offices" during the Suez Crisis and his role in the Congo Crisis, U Thant's guidance during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and Kofi Annan's leadership on the Millennium Development Goals and the Oil-for-Food Programme review. Controversial episodes involve Boutros Boutros-Ghali's strained relations with United States during the Rwandan Genocide and Bosnian War, the resignations tied to Oil-for-Food Programme investigations, and reform efforts led by Kofi Annan and Ban Ki-moon aimed at transparency, accountability, and initiatives such as the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Secretary-General and the office have faced critiques over responses to crises including the Rwandan Genocide, the Srebrenica massacre, and failures in UN peacekeeping operations like UNPROFOR and MONUC. Allegations of mismanagement and corruption have arisen around programs such as the Oil-for-Food Programme and procurement scandals involving UN peacekeepers and contractors in missions in Haiti, Kosovo, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Debates persist about regional rotation, gender parity exemplified by calls to nominate women such as Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga and Christiane Taubira, reform proposals from panels like the High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change, and legal constraints involving the International Court of Justice and Security Council vetoes. Efforts to increase transparency, strengthen oversight via the Office of Internal Oversight Services, and reform appointment processes continue amid diplomatic tensions among permanent members of the Security Council, regional blocs like the Arab League, and global civil society organizations.