Let’s identify the major functions of the Secretary-General of the United Nations
Status of the UN Secretary-General
- Chief Executive of the UN
- Head of the secretariat
- Position rotates among the major continents ie Europe, Africa, Asia, North and South America.
- Tenure of office: four-year term (renewable)
Mode of Selection of the UN Secretary-General
- It is provided for under Article 97 of the UN Charter.
- It is characterized by intense lobbying among contesting governments, the Security Council and the General Assembly.
- The individual is recommended by the Security Council to the General Assembly with the support of all five permanent members and at least four non – permanent members.
- Election and approval by a two – thirds majority vote by the General Assembly.
NOTE: Former UN Secretary-Generals include Trygve Lie of Norway, U Thant of Burma or Myanmar , Dag Hammarskjold of The Netherlands, Javier Perez De Cuellar of Peru, Boutros Boutros – Ghali of Egypt , Kofi Annan of Ghana and Ban Ki Moon of South Korea.
Functions of UN Secreatary-General
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FRANCHISE IN GHANA
Find below a summary of the key functions of the Secretary-General of the United Nations
- Chief administrator of the UN and head of the Secretariat.
- Submission of annual reports and recommendations to the General Assembly on the work of the UN.
- Enforcement of all UN resolutions.
- Alerting the Security Council about any situation which could pose a threat to world peace and recommending measures needed to forestall any breach of peace in any part of the globe.
- Appointment or recruitment, supervision and discipline of all UN staff.
- Preparation of annual budget of the UN.
- Peaceful settlement of conflicts between warring factions by means of negotiation, mediation and arbitration.
