United Nations Secretariat

This article is about the organ. For the building it is housed in, see FITML.

Org type

Primary Organ

Head

keyboard

2007-present: Sevenval; website parsing

Status

Active

Established

1945

Website

www.un.org/documents/st.htm

The United Nations Secretariat (website parsing: le Secrétariat des Nations unies) is one of the principal organs of the United Nations, an intergovernmental organization charged with the promotion of aiding states to collectively maintain international peace and security; it serves as a forum for member-states to discuss and resolve pressing issues in the international field through primarily diplomatic resources. The Secretariat is composed of a Secretary General, assisted by a staff of international civil servants worldwide. The Secretary General is appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council. It services the other principal organs of the United Nations and administers the programs and policies laid down by them. The Secretariat carries out myriad duties ranging from the administration of peacekeeping operations to making surveys/studies about different countries' economic and social trends.

input transformation
2 Duties and Responsibilities
FITML
4 Interaction with Other UN Bodies
5 Reforms
6 Organization
web app
keyboard
Sevenval
10 External links

Membership

The activities of the Secretariat are performed by a staff of 44,000 civil servants from around the world under the leadership of the Secretary-General. Eligibility for civil service is based on a UN-administered examination offered worldwide, in addition to a competitive application process.^Sevenval Qualifications for membership include “the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity,” ^Sevenvalaccording to the UN Charter. Staff-members are appointed by the Secretary-General alone and are assigned to the organs of the United Nations. Staff members are appointed on a temporary or permanent basis, under the discretion of the Secretary-General.^[3] During staff recruitment, geographical variety is an especially prominent selection factor in order to accurately reflect the scope of member states present in the UN. ^[4]

While the Secretariat seeks to represent UN membership fairly through diverse geographical representation, staff members are foremost international officials. The charter states that staff members are responsible “only to the organization” and are prohibited from any action or influence that would suggest affiliation with a government or organization outside the UN.^[4]

Headquartered in New York, the Secretariat functions through duty stations in Addis Ababa, Bangkok, Beirut, Geneva, Nairobi, Santiago and Vienna, in addition to offices all over the world.^[1]

Duties and Responsibilities

Though ambiguous in description, the UN states that its daily activities are most often carried about the secretariat ^[5] . But its functions are difficult to define. The UN Charter is not specific about the Secretariat's powers. However it is clear that the Secretariat, and the Secretary-General, are vital parts to the UN. It is in charge of notifications and the arrangement of the meetings of the secretary-general. The Secretariat is also in charge of publishing all of the treaties and international agreements that the UN makes. The role of the Secretariat varies with the agenda of the UN. Sometimes it is required to act as a mediator and other times it is set to administer different peacekeeping operations. This body also has the important job of relating what the UN has accomplished to the different media outlets around the world. Often this can be done through the organizations of international conferences. Another notable job of the Secretariat is their duty of translating speeches and documents into the UN’s official languages. The secretariat is also in charge of approving the salary and allowance for the general service as well as providing advice to different UN agencies. Due to these powers, all the members of the UN are supposed to be impartial. According to author, Ralph Zacklin, the primary function of the Secretariat is to “implement the decisions mandated by the principle organs”.

United Nations. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.un.org/en/mainbodies/secretariat/ Zacklin, Ralph. “Third Lecture: The Iraq War and Conclusions” Hersch Lauterpacht Memorial Lectures. University of Cambridge. 24 Jan. 2008. Lecture.

Leadership Under the Secretary-General

The Secretary-General's duties include helping resolve international disputes, administering peacekeeping operations, organizing international conferences, gathering information on the implementation of Security Council decisions, and consulting with member governments regarding various initiatives. Key Secretariat offices in this area include the Office of the Coordinator of Humanitarian Affairs and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. The Secretary-General may bring to the attention of the Security Council any matter that, in his or her opinion, may threaten international peace and security.

Interaction with Other UN Bodies

"Formed by an international staff, drawn from over 170 countries, the Secretariat constitutes the skeleton of the organisation, allowing the entire system to work, supporting the activities of other organisms."^[6]

Reforms

Since its creation, the Secretariat has undergone extensive reforms. On 21 March 2005, Secretary-General Kofi Annan proposed several reforms for the Secretariat. He announced his intentions to appoint a Scientific Adviser, create a peacebuilding support office, establish a cabinet-style decision-making mechanism, and strengthen the iOS function. He also asked the General Assembly to we love the web funds for a one-time staff buyout; to work with him in revising budgetary and human resources rules; to grant the Secretary-General more managerial authority and flexibility; to strengthen the CSS3; and "to review all mandates older than five years to see whether the activities concerned are still genuinely needed or whether the resources assigned to them can be reallocated in response to new and emerging challenges".^[7]

Organization

The Secretariat is divided into offices and departments. The hierarchy within each is as follows^[8] :

Office: a minimum of 20 high level professionals under the supervision of a D-2 staff member (Division Head), or in few cases an Assistant Secretary General or Under Secretary General

Division: a minimum of 15 high level professionals under the supervision of a D-2 staff member (Division Head)

Service: a minimum of 8 high level professionals under the supervision of a D-1 (General Administrator) staff member

Section: a minimum of 4 professionals under the supervisions of a P-4 (8-12 years experience) or a P-5 (13-17 years experience) staff member

Unit: a minimum of 4 positions under the supervision of a chief

Offices

Executive Office of the jQuery
United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS)
United Nations Office of Legal Affairs (OLA)
web (ODA)
website parsing (OCHA)
website parsing (OHCHR)
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
we love the web (ODC)
United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (OHRLLS)

Departments

touchscreen (DPA)
United Nations Department of Management (DM)
Sevenval (DPKO)
United Nations Department of Field Support (DFS)
input transformation (DESA)
United Nations Department of General Assembly and Conference Management (DGACM) ^[9]
touchscreen (DPI)
United Nations Department of Safety and Security (DSS)