Secretaries General of the United Nations

The secretariat is the organ that manages and coordinates the activities of the organization. It is led by the United Nations Secretariat General. The UN charter describes the Secretariat General as the “chief administrative officer” of the organization, who shall act in that capacity and execute other functions entrusted to them by the General Assembly, Secretariat Council, Economic and Social Council, and other United Nations Organs. The charter also entitles the secretariat general to bring the focus of the security council on any matter which in their opinion may imperil the maintenance of peace and security. 

The United Nation Secretariat General is also the spokesperson of the United Nation System Chief Executive Board For Coordination, which ensures to incorporate the Executive Heads of all the UN Funds, programs, and specialized agencies twice a year to further cooperation and coordination in the comprehensive range of inconsiderable and management issues facing the United Nations. 

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Who Appoints the Secretaries-General of the United Nations?

The Secretary-General under the charter is appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendations of the Security Council. The Secretariat General is therefore constrained by the veto of any of the five permanent members of the Security Council. The ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations who took office on January 1, 2017, is Mr. António Guterres.

Former Secretaries-General of the United Nations

The General Assembly appoints the Secretary-General of the United Nations under UN Charter on the suggestions given by the Security Council.

The former  Secretary-General of the United Nations was: 

• Ban Ki-moon (Korea)- He served in office for nine years, i.e. from January 2007 to December 2016.

• Kofi Annan (Ghana)- He served in office for nine years, i.e. from January 1997 to December 2006.

• Boutros Boutros-Ghali (Egypt)- He served in office for four years, i.e. from January 1992 to December 1996.

• Javier Pèrez de Cuèllar (Peru)- He served in office for nine years, i.e. from January 1982 to December 1991.

• Kurt Waldheim (Austria)- He served in office for nine years, i.e. from January 1972 to December 1981.

• U Thant (Burma, now Myanmar)- Although he was formally appointed as Secretary-General in November 1962, he served in office for nine years, i.e. from January 1961 to December 1971.

• Dag Hammarskjöld (Sweden)- He joined the office in April 1953 and continued the work until he died in a plane crash in Africa in September 1961.

• Trygve Lie (Norway)- He served in office for six years, i.e. from February 1946 to his resignation in November 1952.

List of the Secretaries-General of the United Nations Along With Their Tenure

Who is the Current UN Secretariat General?

The current UN Secretary-General and the ninth occupant of the position are Mr. António Guterres of Portugal. He joined on January 1, 2017.

Mr. Guterres was born in Lisbon in 1949. He has completed his graduation degree in engineering from the Instituto Superior Técnico. He is fluent in several languages, including Portuguese, English, French, and Spanish. 

Prior to his appointment as Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Guterres was appointed as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees from June 2005 to December 2015. 

He is also a member of the Club of Madrid, a leading association of democratic former presidents and prime ministers worldwide.

Who is the Former UN Secretariat General?

The former UN Secretary-General is Ban Ki-Moon (Korea), who served from January 2007 to December 2016.

Ban Ki-Moon was born on June 13, 1944, in the Republic of Korea.  In 1970, he joined Seoul National University to complete his bachelor's degree in international relations. He earned his master's degree in public administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in 1985. 

During his election as Secretary-General, he was his country's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade. His 37 years of service with the Ministry included postings in different cities, including New Delhi, Washington D.C., and Vienna, and responsibility for varied types of portfolios, including Foreign Policy Adviser and Chief National Security Adviser to the President, Deputy Minister for Policy Planning and Director-General of American Affairs.

Who is the First UN Secretariat General?

The first UN Secretary-General is Trygve Lie (Norway). 

Trygve Lie was born on 16 July 1896. He joined Oslo University to obtain a law degree in 1919. Trygve Lie (Norway) held office from February 1946 to his resignation in November 1952.

In 1911, he became a member of the Norwegian Labor Party Youth Organization. In the Labor Party Government created by Norwegian politician Johan Nygaardsvold, Mr. Lie was first Minister of Justice, then Minister of Trade and Industries and, at the time of the outbreak of the Second World War, became Minister of Supply and Shipping.

Do Secretary-General Plays A Critical Role?

Yes, the Secretary-General plays an important role. As per Article 99 of the United Nations Charter, the security general would like to spotlight the Security Council on any matter which, in his opinion, may threaten the maintenance of national peace and security.  This provision enables the Secretary-General to choose between playing an activist role in the tradition of the second UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold, who died in a plane crash while flying to a treaty organization in Northern Rhodesia, or more an administrative role, as done by Kurt Waldheim (Austria).

What are the Primary Responsibilities of the Secretary-General of the United Nations?

The Secretary-General is completely responsible for all the administrative and pubic-related tasks, retains the responsibility to manage all the operations, and supervises all the Board members and the remaining staff before and during the conference. Along with the administrative task, the Secretariat General fulfills all the tasks which are entrusted to him or her by the charter or by the Principal organs. Some examples are:

• To focus the attention of the Secretary-General on any issues which may frighten the maintenance of peace and security.

• To uplift and initiate discussions in the General Assembly and other UN organs.

• To provide meditation services to conflicting parties and on-demand from the Security Council.

• To provide information to the council as a basis for its initiatives concerning a particular conflict.

The Secretary-General is regarded as the captain on board. Still, their work, i.e. the complete supervision of the work, is facilitated by the remaining members of the secretariat, namely, the Deputy Secretary-General and the President of the General Assembly.