Updated: 1 September 2026
United Nations Secretariat: Secretary-General Appointment, Powers and Functions
The United Nations Secretariat is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations. Under Chapter XV of the UN Charter, it consists of the Secretary-General and such staff as the Organization may require. The Secretariat carries out the day-to-day work of the UN and supports the General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council and other UN bodies.
Appointment of the UN Secretary-General
Article 97 provides that the Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council and serves as the chief administrative officer of the Organization.
The Charter does not require the Secretary-General to come from a "neutral State". Nor does it state in those terms that a candidate must be personally backed by every permanent member of the Security Council. In practice, however, the Security Council recommendation is a substantive decision subject to the Council's voting rules, so opposition by a permanent member can prevent a recommendation.
The five-year term is a long-established institutional practice rather than a term length expressly written into Article 97. Antonio Guterres was reappointed by the General Assembly for a second five-year term from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2026.
Secretary-General powers under Articles 97-101
| Article | Current legal position |
|---|---|
| Article 97 | Establishes the Secretariat, provides for appointment of the Secretary-General by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council, and identifies the Secretary-General as chief administrative officer. |
| Article 98 | Requires the Secretary-General to act in that capacity in meetings of the General Assembly, Security Council, ECOSOC and Trusteeship Council, perform functions entrusted by those organs and submit an annual report on the work of the Organization. |
| Article 99 | Allows the Secretary-General to bring to the attention of the Security Council any matter which, in the Secretary-General's opinion, may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security. |
| Article 100 | Protects the exclusively international character and independence of the Secretary-General and staff. They must not seek or receive instructions from governments or other external authorities. |
| Article 101 | Provides that staff are appointed by the Secretary-General under General Assembly regulations and emphasizes efficiency, competence, integrity and recruitment on as wide a geographical basis as possible. |
Main functions of the Secretary-General and Secretariat
Chief administrative officer
Directs the Secretariat and manages the implementation of mandates, administration, staffing, planning and coordination across the Organization.
Support to UN organs
Services meetings and carries out functions entrusted by the General Assembly, Security Council, ECOSOC and other authorized organs.
Annual reporting
Submits an annual report to the General Assembly on the work of the United Nations, reviewing major developments, activities and priorities.
Diplomacy and good offices
Uses diplomacy, mediation, fact-finding and good offices to prevent conflict, reduce tensions and facilitate peaceful settlement where appropriate.
International representation
Represents the Organization in high-level diplomacy and public advocacy and communicates UN priorities to governments, international organizations and the public.
Policy and coordination
Coordinates work across peace and security, sustainable development, humanitarian action, human rights, international law and administrative reform.
UN Secretariat staff and international independence
Article 100 is central to the international civil service. The Secretary-General and staff must not seek or receive instructions from any government or other external authority. UN Member States, in turn, undertake to respect the exclusively international character of their responsibilities and not seek to influence them improperly.
Article 101 requires the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity in staff recruitment and gives due regard to recruitment on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The Secretariat includes personnel serving at UN Headquarters and offices, peace operations, political missions and duty stations around the world.
Secretary-General and international peace and security
The Secretary-General's peace and security role is broader than routine administration. Article 99 is a distinctive Charter power because it authorizes the Secretary-General, in the Secretary-General's own assessment, to bring a matter that may threaten international peace and security to the Security Council's attention.
Beyond Article 99, successive Secretaries-General have used good offices, preventive diplomacy, mediation, special envoys, fact-finding and public or private diplomacy. The Secretary-General does not independently command UN peacekeeping forces; peace operations operate within mandates and institutional arrangements authorized by the competent UN organs.
Boutros Boutros-Ghali and An Agenda for Peace
In 1992, Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali issued An Agenda for Peace: Preventive Diplomacy, Peacemaking and Peace-keeping. The report proposed ways to strengthen the United Nations' ability to prevent and resolve conflict after the end of the Cold War.
Its themes included preventive diplomacy, fact-finding, early warning, peacemaking, peacekeeping, preventive deployment and post-conflict peacebuilding. The report remains an important historical document in the development of modern UN conflict-prevention and peace-operation concepts.
Secretary-General and ICJ advisory opinions
Article 96 of the UN Charter authorizes the General Assembly and Security Council to request an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on any legal question. Other UN organs and specialized agencies may do so only when authorized by the General Assembly and only on legal questions arising within the scope of their activities.
The Secretary-General is not independently listed as an organ authorized to request advisory opinions. However, under the Rules of Court, requests made by duly authorized UN bodies may be formally transmitted to the ICJ by the Secretary-General. This distinction avoids confusing transmission of a request with the legal power to originate one.
Official United Nations sources
For authoritative current information refer to UN Charter Chapter XV, Secretary-General, Selection and Appointment of the Next Secretary-General, The Secretariat and ICJ Authorized Organs and Agencies.
Note: the officeholder will change when the next Secretary-General assumes office in January 2027. This page reflects official information available as of 1 September 2026.