United Nations Secretariat Facts for Kids

For the building it is housed in, see United Nations Secretariat Building.

Quick facts for kids United Nations Secretariat

United Nations Headquarters in New York City
Org type	Primary Organ
Status	Active

The United Nations Secretariat is like the main office of the United Nations (UN). It's one of the six most important parts of the UN. The Secretariat helps plan what the UN will talk about. It also makes sure that decisions made by other UN groups are put into action. The leader of the Secretariat is called the Secretary-General.

The Secretariat has many important jobs. Dag Hammarskjöld, who was the second Secretary-General, once said that the Secretariat can bring new ideas. It can also help governments work together.

This part of the UN helps with many things around the world. For example, the United Nations Department of Political Affairs is part of the Secretariat. It works like a country's foreign affairs office. The Department of Peace Operations is also part of it. The Secretariat gives important information to the UN's main groups. It helps run UN missions and prepares for peacekeeping efforts. It also talks with news groups and other organizations. Plus, it publishes all international agreements.

Who is the Secretary-General?
How is the Secretariat Organized?
Staff Ranks
Who Works at the Secretariat?
Women in the Secretariat
Changes and Improvements
See also

Who is the Secretary-General?

António Guterres is the current UN Secretary-General.

The UN Secretary-General has many duties. They help solve problems between countries. They also manage peacekeeping missions. The Secretary-General organizes big international meetings. They gather information on how UN decisions are being followed. They also talk with member countries about new ideas.

Important offices that help the Secretary-General include the Office of Humanitarian Affairs. The Department of Peacekeeping Operations is also key. The Secretary-General can tell the UN Security Council about anything that might threaten world peace. The current Secretary-General of the UN is António Guterres.

How is the Secretariat Organized?

The Secretariat is split into different offices and departments. Think of it like a big school with different classes and teams. Here's how it's set up:

Office: A large group of experts led by a senior staff member.
Division: A smaller group of experts, also led by a senior staff member.
Service: A team of professionals led by a general administrator.
Section: A smaller team of professionals.
Unit: The smallest team, with a few people led by a chief.

Main Offices

Executive Office of the Secretary-General (EOSG)
United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS)
United Nations Office of Legal Affairs (OLA)
United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (ODA)
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (OHRLLS)
United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)
United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT)

Main Departments

United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA)
United Nations Department of Peace Operations (DPO)
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA)
United Nations Department of Operational Support (DOS)
United Nations Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance (DMSPC)
United Nations Department of General Assembly and Conference Management (DGACM)
United Nations Department of Global Communications (DGC)
United Nations Department of Safety and Security (DSS)

Other Important Offices

United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG)
United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON)
United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV)

UN Regional Commissions

These offices help different parts of the world:

Bangkok, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
Beirut, Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
Addis Ababa, Economic Commission for Africa
Geneva, Economic Commission for Europe
Santiago, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean

Staff Ranks

People who work at the UN Secretariat have different ranks. Here are some of them:

Secretary-General
Deputy Secretary-General
Under-Secretary-General
Assistant Secretary-General
D-2: Principal Director
D-1: Director
P-5: Senior Officer
P-4: First Officer
P-3: Second Officer
P-2: Associate Officer
P-1: Assistant Officer

Who Works at the Secretariat?

As of late 2018, over 37,500 people worked for the Secretariat. They came from more than 140 different countries. To work there, people must pass an exam and go through a tough application process. The UN Charter says staff must be very good at their jobs, skilled, and honest.

The Secretary-General chooses the staff members. They can be hired for a short time or permanently. When hiring, the UN tries to have people from many different countries. This helps show that the UN represents all its member states. Staff members are only responsible to the UN itself. They cannot be influenced by any government or outside group.

The main office is in New York. But the Secretariat also has offices in other cities. These include Addis Ababa, Bangkok, Beirut, Geneva, Nairobi, Santiago, and Vienna. There are also many other offices worldwide.

Women in the Secretariat

The UN has been working to have more women in leadership roles. This has been a goal since 1970. The Secretariat has created plans to help achieve this. These plans aim to have an equal number of men and women in jobs.

Even with these plans, progress has been slow. In 1994, the UN General Assembly asked the Secretary-General to hire and promote more women. They wanted to reach 50/50 representation by the year 2000. This goal was later moved to 2015. However, in 2009, women still made up less than 30% of the staff.

The UN continues to work on this important goal. They have special rules to help achieve gender equality. These rules make sure that women who are equally or better qualified are chosen for jobs. The Secretary-General has said these special measures will continue until there is gender balance.

Changes and Improvements

The Secretariat has changed a lot since it started. In 2005, Secretary-General Kofi Annan suggested many improvements. He wanted to add a science advisor. He also wanted to create an office to help build peace. He aimed to make decision-making better. He also wanted to improve how the UN helps solve problems.

He asked the General Assembly for money to make some staff changes. He also wanted more freedom to manage the UN's money and staff. He aimed to make the Office of Internal Oversight Services stronger. This office checks how the UN is doing. He also wanted to review old projects. This would see if they were still needed. If not, resources could be used for new challenges.

United Nations Secretariat facts for kids

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