United Nations Secretariat

United Nations Secretariat
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Name	United Nations Secretariat
Formation	1945
Headquarters	New York City
Parent organization	United Nations
Leader title	Secretary‑General

Contents

United Nations Secretariat The Secretariat is the executive arm of the United Nations responsible for carrying out the day‑to‑day work of the Organization, providing services to the United Nations General Assembly, United Nations Security Council, Economic and Social Council, and other principal organs. It operates from headquarters in New York City and maintains offices in locations such as Geneva, Vienna, Nairobi, and regional commissions including United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. The Secretariat implements mandates from treaties and resolutions including those arising from the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and major conferences like the World Summit.

History

The Secretariat emerged from deliberations at the San Francisco Conference that produced the United Nations Charter following the Yalta Conference and the legacy of institutions such as the League of Nations. Early Secretaries include civil servants with ties to bodies like the International Labour Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization. Cold War dynamics involving the United States, the Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom shaped staffing, location, and mandate disputes evident in episodes linked to the Korean War and the Suez Crisis. Reforms and expansions followed crises and initiatives such as the Decolonization era, the creation of peacekeeping missions in Congo Crisis (1960–65), and post‑Cold War shifts after the Gulf War (1990–91) and the Rwandan genocide. High‑profile reports—from figures like Boutros Boutros‑Ghali, Kofi Annan, and commissions associated with the Brahimi Report—catalyzed institutional changes and influenced relations with bodies such as the International Court of Justice and the World Bank.

The Secretariat comprises departments and offices designed to support organs including the United Nations General Assembly, United Nations Security Council, and specialized agencies like the World Health Organization and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Functional units include the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Department of Peace Operations, and Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, which coordinate with partners such as International Committee of the Red Cross and the European Union. The Secretariat administers programs mandated by instruments like the Millennium Development Goals and the Sustainable Development Goals and provides support for fora such as the Human Rights Council and conferences like the UN Climate Change Conference. It also services legal matters through the Office of Legal Affairs and public information via the Department of Global Communications.

Leadership rests with the Secretary‑General, who is nominated by the United Nations Security Council and appointed by the United Nations General Assembly. Prominent Secretaries‑General—linked to international crises and reform efforts—include Trygve Lie, Dag Hammarskjöld, U Thant, Kurt Waldheim, Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, Boutros Boutros‑Ghali, Kofi Annan, and António Guterres. Secretaries‑General interact with heads of state such as Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Mikhail Gorbachev, and contemporary leaders during summits like the United Nations Climate Change Conference and the World Summit on Sustainable Development. The Office of the Secretary‑General coordinates with entities such as the United Nations Trusteeship Council historically and with current bodies like the High Commissioner for Refugees.

Secretariat staff include international civil servants recruited through competitive examinations and appointments influenced by member states such as China, India, Brazil, France, and United States. Personnel categories range from policy officers and legal advisers to humanitarian specialists and peacekeeping personnel deployed alongside missions like United Nations Mission in South Sudan and United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti. Staff are subject to the International Civil Service Commission regulations and codes of conduct tied to instruments like the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations. Notable personnel controversies have involved investigations by the Office of Internal Oversight Services and cases adjudicated in contexts comparable to instances brought before the International Labour Organization Administrative Tribunal.

The Secretariat’s budgetary processes are overseen by the UN General Assembly through committees such as the Fifth Committee and audited by entities including the United Nations Board of Auditors. Financing derives from assessed contributions of member states and voluntary contributions channeled to programs alongside donors like United States Agency for International Development, European Commission, and philanthropic foundations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Administrative reforms have addressed procurement, human resources, and financial management following critiques from bodies like the Joint Inspection Unit and reports influenced by figures such as Paul Volcker in investigations concerning program integrity.

The Secretariat has faced criticism over bureaucracy, accountability, and effectiveness raised by member states including United States, Russia, and Japan, and by civil society organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Scandals—ranging from procurement irregularities to peacekeeper misconduct in missions like United Nations Mission in Liberia and United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo—spurred reforms advocated in reports such as the Brahimi Report and initiatives led by Secretaries‑General including Kofi Annan and Ban Ki‑moon. Ongoing reform proposals engage mechanisms like the General Assembly‑mandated reviews, partnerships with institutions such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, and policy instruments connected to the Sustainable Development Goals and global norm‑setting efforts.