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Part 2 The United Nations: What it is, 15 The United Nations Secretariat and Secretary-General

Dame Rosalyn Higgins DBE QC, Philippa Webb, Dapo Akande, Sandesh Sivakumaran, James Sloan

From: Oppenheim's International Law: United Nations

Rosalyn Higgins, Philippa Webb, Dapo Akande, Sandesh Sivakumaran, James Sloan

From: Oxford Public International Law (http://opil.ouplaw.com). (c) Oxford University Press, 2023. All Rights Reserved.date: 30 March 2023

Subject(s):
International organizations

The Secretariat is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN). The Secretariat is composed of the Secretary-General and staff, in accordance with Article 97 of the UN Charter. The Secretary-General is the head of the Secretariat and responsible for appointing the staff. He/she is also the ‘chief administrative officer of the organization’, which encompasses responsibilities beyond the organ of the Secretariat. This chapter discusses structure and functions of the Secretariat; efforts to reform the Secretariat; the Secretariat’s role in the common system; conditions of service; duration of appointment; remuneration and pensions; personal conduct and disciplinary measures; safety and security, and staff representative bodies; the Secretary-General’s appointment; term of office re-election, administrative functions, legal functions, representational functions, and political functions; and the Deputy Secretary-General.

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