Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations
Encyclopedia
An Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations (USG) is a senior official
within the United Nations System
, normally appointed by the General Assembly
on the recommendation of the Secretary-General for a renewable term of four years.
The distinction in method of appointment is important as USGs appointed by the General Assembly have a mandate independent of the Secretary-General, and he is therefore unable to remove them from office without the General Assembly's consent. This restriction has been seen by many commentators to weaken the Secretary-General's ability to provide strong leadership and management within the United Nations System
.
, who is often referred to as the third most senior official within the UN System yet does not use the title of Under-Secretary-General.
equivalent to that of a national cabinet
minister
. Under Article 105 of the United Nations Charter
they have diplomatic immunity
.
. Members of the SMG are indicated on the below list by an asterisk (*).
is the second highest ranking official in the UN System after the Secretary-General. Asha-Rose Mtengeti Migiro
is the current office holder.
Official
An official is someone who holds an office in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of authority .A government official or functionary is an official who is involved in public...
within the United Nations System
United Nations System
The United Nations system consists of the United Nations, its subsidiary organs , the specialized agencies, and affiliated organizations...
, normally appointed by the General Assembly
United Nations General Assembly
For two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
on the recommendation of the Secretary-General for a renewable term of four years.
Appointment and accountability
The majority of USGs are appointed by the UN General Assembly on the recommendation of the Secretary-General for a fixed term of four years. Others (normally special envoys, Secretariat-appointees and non-programme management positions) are appointed directly by the UN Secretary-General on his own authority. However, all USGs report to the UN General Assembly through the UN Secretary-General. The only exception to this is the Under-Secretary-General for Internal Oversight Services who reports directly to the General Assembly.The distinction in method of appointment is important as USGs appointed by the General Assembly have a mandate independent of the Secretary-General, and he is therefore unable to remove them from office without the General Assembly's consent. This restriction has been seen by many commentators to weaken the Secretary-General's ability to provide strong leadership and management within the United Nations System
United Nations System
The United Nations system consists of the United Nations, its subsidiary organs , the specialized agencies, and affiliated organizations...
.
Equivalent rank
Some senior posts within the UN System have the equivalent rank of Under-Secretary-General but are either not entitled or choose not to use the formal title. The most prominent example of this is the Administrator of the United Nations Development ProgrammeUnited Nations Development Programme
The United Nations Development Programme is the United Nations' global development network. It advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP operates in 177 countries, working with nations on their own solutions to...
, who is often referred to as the third most senior official within the UN System yet does not use the title of Under-Secretary-General.
Diplomatic rank
USGs have diplomatic rankDiplomatic rank
Diplomatic rank is the system of professional and social rank used in the world of diplomacy and international relations. Over time it has been formalized on an international basis.-Ranks:...
equivalent to that of a national cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
minister
Minister (government)
A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
. Under Article 105 of the United Nations Charter
United Nations Charter
The Charter of the United Nations is the foundational treaty of the international organization called the United Nations. It was signed at the San Francisco War Memorial and Performing Arts Center in San Francisco, United States, on 26 June 1945, by 50 of the 51 original member countries...
they have diplomatic immunity
Diplomatic immunity
Diplomatic immunity is a form of legal immunity and a policy held between governments that ensures that diplomats are given safe passage and are considered not susceptible to lawsuit or prosecution under the host country's laws...
.
Senior Management Group (SMG)
With over 50 people with the rank of Under-Secretary-General, unsurprisingly the influence and power they wield within the UN System varies dramatically. The most important USGs, controlling budgets, programmes or key activities, are also members of the Secretary-General's Senior Management Group, whose objective is to ensure strategic coherence and direction in the work of the Organization. The cabinet was approved by the General Assembly in 1997 as part of the reform proposal submitted by Secretary-General Kofi AnnanKofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
. Members of the SMG are indicated on the below list by an asterisk (*).
List of Under-Secretaries-General
The following is a list of Under-Secretaries-General or those with equivalent rank. This list is not exhaustive.Programmes and Commissions
- Babatunde OsotimehinBabatunde OsotimehinBabatunde Osotimehin , a national of Nigeria, was appointed on 19 November 2010 as the new Executive Director of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, for a four year term....
* - Executive Director, United Nations Population FundUnited Nations Population FundThe United Nations Population Fund is a UN organization. The work of the UNFPA involves promotion of the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity. This is done through major national and demographic surveys and with population censuses...
(UNFPA) - Konrad OsterwalderKonrad OsterwalderKonrad Osterwalder is Under Secretary-General of the United Nations and currently serves as the Rector of the United Nations University . He was appointed to the position by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in May 2007. He succeeded Prof. Hans van Ginkel from the Netherlands to be the...
* - Rector, United Nations UniversityUnited Nations UniversityThe United Nations University is an academic arm of the United Nations established in 1973, which serves purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. The UNU undertakes research into the pressing global problems of human survival, development and welfare that are the concern of...
(UNU) - Antonio Maria CostaAntonio Maria CostaAntonio Maria Costa was an Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, appointed, from May 2002 until August 2010, to the positions of Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and Director-General of the United Nations Office in Vienna .-Background:An Italian native,...
* - Director-General, United Nations Office Vienna and Chief Executive, United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) - Navanethem Pillay * - United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR)
- Joan Clos * - Executive Director, United Nations Human Settlements ProgrammeUnited Nations Human Settlements ProgrammeThe United Nations Human Settlements Programme is the United Nations agency for human settlements. It was established in 1978 and has its headquarters at the United Nations Office at Nairobi, Kenya...
(UNHABITAT) - Ján KubišJán KubišJán Kubiš is the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, and was the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia from July 2006 until January 2009....
* - United Nations Economic Commission for EuropeUnited Nations Economic Commission for EuropeThe United Nations Economic Commission for Europe was established in 1947 to encourage economic cooperation among its member states. It is one of five regional commissions under the administrative direction of United Nations headquarters. It has 56 member states, and reports to the UN Economic and...
(UNECE) - Tony LakeAnthony LakeWilliam Anthony Kirsopp Lake, best known as Tony Lake, is the Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund , author, academic, and former American diplomat, Foreign Service Officer, and political advisor. He has been a foreign policy advisor to many Democratic U.S...
* - United Nations Children's FundUnited Nations Children's FundUnited Nations Children's Fund was created by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 1946, to provide emergency food and healthcare to children in countries that had been devastated by World War II...
(UNICEF) - Rima KhalafRima KhalafRima Khalaf, , a national of Jordan, was appointed as Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia ESCWA by the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon....
* - United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western AsiaUnited Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western AsiaThe United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia , headquartered in Beirut, Lebanon, is one of the five regional commissions under the administrative direction of the United Nations Economic and Social Council. UN-ESCWA promotes economic and social development of Western Asia...
(UNESCWA) - Supachai PanitchpakdiSupachai PanitchpakdiSupachai Panitchpakdi is the Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development . Prior to this, he was the Director-General of the World Trade Organization from September 1, 2002 to September 1, 2005...
* - United Nations Conference on Trade and DevelopmentUnited Nations Conference on Trade and DevelopmentThe United Nations Conference on Trade and Development was established in 1964 as a permanent intergovernmental body. It is the principal organ of the United Nations General Assembly dealing with trade, investment, and development issues....
(UNCTAD) - Achim SteinerAchim SteinerAchim Steiner is a German expert in environmental politics. From 2001 to 2006 he was Director General of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources...
* - United Nations Environment ProgrammeUnited Nations Environment ProgrammeThe United Nations Environment Programme coordinates United Nations environmental activities, assisting developing countries in implementing environmentally sound policies and practices. It was founded as a result of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in June 1972 and has its...
(UNEP) - Abdoulie JannehAbdoulie JannehAbdoulie Janneh currently serves as the United Nations Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa . He was appointed to the position by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan in September 2005....
* - Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic Commission for AfricaUnited Nations Economic Commission for AfricaThe United Nations Economic Commission for Africa was established in 1958 by the United Nations Economic and Social Council to encourage economic cooperation among its member states following a recommendation of the United Nations General Assembly.It is one of five regional commissions.The ECA...
(UNECA) - Alicia Bárcena * - United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the CaribbeanUnited Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the CaribbeanThe United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean was established in 1948 to encourage economic cooperation among its member states. In 1984, a resolution was passed to include the countries of the Caribbean in the name...
(UNECLAC) - Josette Sheeran * - World Food ProgrammeWorld Food ProgrammeThe World Food Programme is the food aid branch of the United Nations, and the world's largest humanitarian organization addressing hunger worldwide. WFP provides food, on average, to 90 million people per year, 58 million of whom are children...
(WFP) - António GuterresAntónio GuterresAntónio Manuel de Oliveira Guterres, GCC is a Portuguese politician, a former prime minister and President of the Socialist International. Currently he is the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.-Early life:...
* - United Nations High Commissioner for RefugeesUnited Nations High Commissioner for RefugeesThe Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees , also known as The UN Refugee Agency is a United Nations agency mandated to protect and support refugees at the request of a government or the UN itself and assists in their voluntary repatriation, local integration or resettlement to...
(UNHCR) - Noeleen HeyzerNoeleen HeyzerNoeleen Heyzer currently serves as the Executive Secretary of United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific . She was appointed to the position by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in July 2007....
* - United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the PacificUnited Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the PacificThe Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific , located in Bangkok, Thailand, is the regional arm of the United Nations Secretariat for the Asian and Pacific region. It was established in 1947 to encourage economic cooperation among its member states...
(UNESCAP) - Helen ClarkHelen ClarkHelen Elizabeth Clark, ONZ is a New Zealand political figure who was the 37th Prime Minister of New Zealand for three consecutive terms from 1999 to 2008...
* - Administrator, United Nations Development ProgrammeUnited Nations Development ProgrammeThe United Nations Development Programme is the United Nations' global development network. It advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP operates in 177 countries, working with nations on their own solutions to...
(UNDP), also chair of the United Nations Development Group - Ad MelkertAd MelkertAdrianus Petrus Wilhelmus "Ad" Melkert is a Dutch politician of the Labour Party . He served as chair of the parliamentary party and Minister of Social Affairs and Employment for the social-democratic PvdA. He led the PvdA to a historic low in the contentious 2002 general elections, which were won...
- Associate Administrator, United Nations Development ProgrammeUnited Nations Development ProgrammeThe United Nations Development Programme is the United Nations' global development network. It advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP operates in 177 countries, working with nations on their own solutions to...
(UNDP) - Michel Sibidé - Executive Director, Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDSJoint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDSThe Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS, or UNAIDS, is the main advocate for accelerated, comprehensive and coordinated global action on the HIV epidemic....
(UNAIDS)
Secretariat Officials
- Carman Lapointe-YoungCarman Lapointe-YoungCarman Lapointe-Young has since 2010 been Under-Secretary-General for the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services of the United Nations.- External links :*...
* - Under-Secretary-General for Internal Oversight ServicesUnited Nations Office of Internal Oversight ServicesThe United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services is a United Nations organ whose primary purpose is to perform world-wide audit, investigation, inspection, programme monitoring, evaluation and consulting services to the United Nations Secretariat and the rest of the United Nations... - Patricia O’BrienPatricia O’BrienPatricia O'Brien currently serves as United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and United Nations Legal Counsel...
* - Under-Secretary-General and Legal CounselUnited Nations Office of Legal AffairsThe United Nations Office of Legal Affairs is a United Nations agency, established in 1946, that performs several key functions in the area of international law.... - B. Lynn PascoeB. Lynn PascoeB. Lynn Pascoe is the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations for Political Affairs.Pascoe was previously United States Ambassador to Indonesia after being nominated by President George W. Bush from 2004 to 2007, and to Malaysia from 1999 to 2001....
* - Under-Secretary-General for Political AffairsUnited Nations Department of Political AffairsThe United Nations Department of Political Affairs is a department of the Secretariat of the United Nations with responsibility for monitoring and assessing global political developments and advising and assisting the United Nations Secretary General and his envoys in the peaceful prevention and... - Sergio de Queiroz DuarteSergio de Queiroz DuarteSergio de Queiroz Duarte is a Brazilian diplomat who currently serves as the United Nations High Representative for Disarmament. He was appointed by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in July 2007....
* - High Representative for Disarmament AffairsUnited Nations Office for Disarmament AffairsThe UN Office for Disarmament Affairs is a department of the United Nations Secretariat established in January 1998 as the Department for Disarmament Affairs as part of the United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan's plan to reform the UN as presented in his report to the General Assembly in... - Alain Le Roy * - Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping OperationsDepartment of Peacekeeping OperationsThe Department of Peacekeeping Operations is a department of the United Nations which is charged with the planning, preparation, management and direction of UN peacekeeping operations.-History of the DPKO:...
- Susana MalcorraSusana MalcorraSusana Malcorra is the current United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Field Support. She was appointed by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in March 2008.- Biography :...
* - Under-Secretary-General for Field Support - Valerie Amos * - Under-Secretary-General and Humanitarian Affairs Emergency Relief CoordinatorUndersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief CoordinatorThe Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator is a high level position in the United Nations that heads the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs....
- Sha ZukangSha ZukangSha Zukang is a Chinese diplomat who is head of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. He was previously the Chinese ambassador to the United Nations Office at Geneva....
* - Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social AffairsUnited Nations Department of Economic and Social AffairsThe United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs is part of the United Nations Secretariat and is responsible for the follow-up to the major United Nations Summits and Conferences, as well as services to the United Nations Economic and Social Council and the Second and Third Committees... - Muhammad ShaabanMuhammad ShaabanMuhammad Shaaban is a career Egyptian diplomat and currently serves as the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for General Assembly and Conference Management. He was appointed to the position by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in February 2007.Shaaban has acquired extensive...
* - Under-Secretary-General for General Assembly and Conference Management - Kiyotaka Akasaka * - Under-Secretary-General for Public InformationUnited Nations Department of Public InformationThe United Nations Department of Public Information helps non-governmental organizations gain access to and disseminate information about United Nations issues so the public can better understand the aims and objectives of the organizations...
- Angela KaneAngela KaneAngela Kane currently serves as Under-Secretary-General for Management in the United Nations. She was appointed to the post by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in May 2008....
* - Under-Secretary-General for Management - Gregory B. StarrGregory B. StarrGregory B. Starr is the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Safety and Security. He was selected by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon on May 6, 2009....
* - Under-Secretary-General for Safety and Security - Michelle BacheletMichelle BacheletVerónica Michelle Bachelet Jeria is a Social Democrat politician who was President of Chile from 11 March 2006 to 11 March 2010. She was the first woman president of her country...
- Under-Secretary-General for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women - Margot WallströmMargot WallströmMargot Elisabeth Wallström is a Swedish social democratic, currently holding the job as . Prior to this post, she served as European Commissioner for Institutional Relations and Communication Strategy...
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict - Radhika CoomaraswamyRadhika CoomaraswamyRadhika Coomaraswamy is the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict. Secretary-General Kofi Annan appointed her to the position in April 2006...
- Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict - Susan McLurgSusan McLurgSusan McLurg currently serves as the Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, , a subsidiary organ of the United Nations General Assembly....
- Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions - Kingston Rhodes - Chairman of the International Civil Service Commission
- Wolfgang StocklWolfgang StöcklWolfgang Stöckl currently serves as the Vice Chairman of the United Nations International Civil Service Commission.Before becoming the Vice Chairman of ICSC, Stöckl was Ambassador and Special Coordinator for German Personnel in International Organizations...
- Vice-Chairman of the International Civil Service Commission - Sergei OrdzhonikidzeSergei OrdzhonikidzeSergei Ordzhonikidze is a Russian diplomat. He was the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva from 2002 - 2011...
* - Director-General of the United Nations Office at GenevaUnited Nations Office at GenevaThe United Nations Office at Geneva is the second-largest of the four major office sites of the United Nations... - Sahle- Work Zewde - Director-General of the United Nations Office at NairobiUnited Nations Office at NairobiThe United Nations Office at Nairobi is one of the four major UN office sites where several different UN agencies have a joint presence. The office complex is located in Nairobi, Kenya...
- Antonio Maria CostaAntonio Maria CostaAntonio Maria Costa was an Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, appointed, from May 2002 until August 2010, to the positions of Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and Director-General of the United Nations Office in Vienna .-Background:An Italian native,...
- Director-General of the United Nations Office at ViennaUnited Nations Office at ViennaThe United Nations Office in Vienna is one of the four major UN office sites where several different UN agencies have a joint presence. The office complex is located in Vienna, the capital of Austria, and is part of the Vienna International Centre, a cluster of several major international...
Advisers
- Vijay Nambiar * - Special Adviser to the Secretary-General
- Nitin DesaiNitin DesaiNitin Desai is an Indian economist. He was Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations from 1997 to 2003.-Early life and academic career:...
- World Summit on the Information Society - Philippe Douste-BlazyPhilippe Douste-BlazyPhilippe Douste-Blazy is a French centre-right politician. He served as Minister for Health , Minister of Culture and Foreign Minister in the cabinet of Dominique de Villepin .Douste-Blazy is also a cardiologist and Christian Democrat politician from Lourdes...
- Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Innovative Financing for Development - Joseph LegwailaJoseph LegwailaJoseph Manson John Legwaila is a diplomat and politician from Botswana. Legwaila studied politics, history and international relations at the University of Alberta in Canada and taught there for a time. He was Vice-President of the UN General Assembly for three sessions in total...
- Special Adviser on Africa - Joseph V. Reed - Special Adviser to the Secretary-General
- Jeffrey SachsJeffrey SachsJeffrey David Sachs is an American economist and Director of The Earth Institute at Columbia University. One of the youngest economics professors in the history of Harvard University, Sachs became known for his role as an adviser to Eastern European and developing country governments in the...
- Senior Adviser to the Secretary-General on the Millennium Development Goals and Director of the United Nations Millennium Project - Wilfried "Willi" Lemke - Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Sport for Development and Peace
Special Envoys
- Cheick Sidi DiarraCheick Sidi DiarraCheick Sidi Diarra currently serves as United Nations Special Adviser on Africa and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States . He was appointed to the position by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in January 2008...
* - Special Envoy for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked and Small Island Developing States, Special Adviser on Africa - Bill ClintonBill ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
- Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery - Eric Paul Schwartz - Deputy Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery
- Nafis I. Sadik - Special Envoy for AIDS in Asia
- Elizabeth MatakaElizabeth MatakaElizabeth Mataka is the United Nations Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, as appointed on May 21, 2007 by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, replacing Stephen Lewis. Mataka is a national of Botswana and a resident of Zambia. She served as the vice-chair of the board of the Global Fund to Fight...
- Special Envoy for Aids in Africa
Deputy Secretary-General
The Deputy Secretary-GeneralUnited Nations Deputy Secretary-General
The Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations is an office created to handle many of the administrative responsibilities, help manage Secretariat operations, and ensure coherence of activities and programmes. The post was formally established by the General Assembly at the end of 1997...
is the second highest ranking official in the UN System after the Secretary-General. Asha-Rose Mtengeti Migiro
Asha-Rose Migiro
Asha-Rose Mtengeti Migiro is a Tanzanian lawyer and politician. On January 5, 2007, she was named as the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations. She was formally appointed and assumed office on February 1. She is married to Cleophas Migiro, and the couple has two daughters...
is the current office holder.