United Nations Secretariat facts for kids
Quick facts for kids  United Nations Secretariat |
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United Nations Headquarters in New York City
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The United Nations Secretariat is one of the six main parts of the United Nations (UN). Think of it as the UN's "executive arm," which means it's responsible for carrying out the day-to-day work of the UN.
The Secretariat plays a big role in helping other parts of the UN, like the General Assembly and the Security Council, decide what topics to discuss. It is also in charge of putting their decisions into action. The leader of the Secretariat is the secretary-general, who is chosen by the General Assembly.
The Secretariat does many important jobs. It can introduce new ideas and take action on world issues. It provides political and economic information to the General Assembly and Security Council. It also runs political missions, prepares for peacekeeping operations, and communicates with the media and other organizations.
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The Secretary-General
The UN secretary-general has many important duties. These include helping to solve arguments between countries, managing peacekeeping missions, and organizing international conferences. The secretary-general also gathers information to see if the Security Council's decisions are being followed.
A key part of the job is to consult with the governments of member countries about different plans and ideas. If the secretary-general believes a situation could threaten world peace, he or she can bring it to the Security Council's attention. The current secretary-general is António Guterres from Portugal.
How the Secretariat is Organized
The Secretariat is made up of many different offices and departments. Each one focuses on a specific area, like human rights, peace, or economic issues. This helps the UN manage its many tasks all around the world.
Key Offices and Departments
Some of the most important parts of the Secretariat include:
- Executive Office of the Secretary-General: Helps the Secretary-General with his daily work.
- Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): Works to protect human rights globally.
- United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA): Coordinates help during emergencies like natural disasters or conflicts.
- United Nations Department of Peace Operations (DPO): Manages peacekeeping missions to help countries torn by conflict create lasting peace.
- United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA): Works to prevent conflicts and help build peace in countries around the world.
Offices Around the World
While the main headquarters is in New York City, the Secretariat has offices in major cities across the globe to carry out its work. These include:
- United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG)
- United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON)
- United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV)
The UN also has regional commissions that focus on the economic issues of different parts of the world, with offices in places like Bangkok, Beirut, and Santiago.
Working for the Secretariat
As of the end of 2022, about 36,791 people from over 190 countries worked for the UN Secretariat. These staff members, known as international civil servants, work at hundreds of locations worldwide.
To get a job at the Secretariat, a person must have "the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity." This means they need to be very skilled, capable, and honest. It is also important that the staff comes from many different countries, so the UN represents the whole world.
Staff members are appointed by the secretary-general and are responsible only to the UN, not to any single country. This ensures they can do their work fairly and without outside influence.
Women in the Secretariat
Since 1970, the UN has been working to have more women in leadership positions. The goal is to achieve gender equality, especially in high-level jobs.
The UN created special plans and rules to help hire and promote more women. However, progress has been slow. In 2009, only about 29% of the staff were women. By 2011, the number of women in high-level (D-1) positions was just over 27%.
The UN continues to work toward its goal of having an equal number of men and women in leadership roles. The secretary-general has stated that special measures will stay in place until this goal of gender balance is reached.
Reforms and Changes
Over the years, the Secretariat has gone through many changes to make it work better. In 2005, former Secretary-General Kofi Annan suggested several reforms. He wanted to create new offices to support peacebuilding and improve how decisions were made.
He also asked for more flexibility in managing the budget and staff. These reforms were meant to help the Secretariat respond more effectively to new world challenges.
See also
In Spanish: Secretaría General de las Naciones Unidas para niños
- Dag Hammarskjöld Library
- International Court of Justice
- UN Economic and Social Council
- UN General Assembly
- UN Headquarters
- UN Security Council
- UN Trusteeship Council
- United Nations Interpretation Service
