The Role of the UN Secretariat in light of th...

The Role of the UN Secretariat in light of the UN Charter

Author Name : Jalpa Mishra

ABSTRACT: The Secretariat symbolizes the United Nations and serves as an embodiment of the UN. The UN Charter entrusts the Secretariat with the job of defending the interests of “We the peoples of the United Nations”1 referred to in the starting phrase of the UN Charter.Article 7 of the Charter enlists the Secretariat as one of the principal organs of the UN.The acquisition of such a status must entail significant consequences, for it is the principal organs which are primarily responsible for the attainment of the UN objectives and for the observance of the principles of the Charter. Thus, the leitmotif of this paper is to ascertain the role that the Secretariat is mandated to play in the international arena in light of the Charter principles, international political external code and the role expectations. The paper provides a legalistic description of the administrative, political and diplomatic role of the Secretariat as envisaged by the UN Charter. According to Article 97, the Secretariat is composed of the Secretary-General and the staff, and as the latter is appointed by the former and as the Secretary-General is alone responsible to the UN for the work of the Secretariat,the paper will aim to highlight the trend to structure the role of the Secretariat around the traits of the Secretary-General holding the office. The paper will also attempt to study the effect of personal qualities, work ethics, ethical framework and perceptions of the Secretary-General on the role expectations from the office of the Secretariat. The paper will attempt to analyse the expansionist interpretation of the Secretariat‟s role stamped on the office by the successive Secretary-General‟s. The paper also aims to identify the political constraints that the office of the Secretariat is endowed with. An attempt is made to demonstrate how these political constraints can be overcome, as they have been viewed as influencing the handling of the position. The paper concludes with certain overarching observations.