What It Is
The is one of the UN's six principal organs, established under Chapter XV of the Charter (Articles 97-101). It comprises around 37,000 international civil servants worldwide, headed by the Secretary-General as the UN's chief administrative officer.
The Secretariat is the operational engine of the UN system — the staff who actually run UN programs, conduct research, support intergovernmental meetings, manage finances, and perform the many other functions that make the UN function as an organization.
Departments and Functions
The Secretariat's departments include:
- Department of Political and Affairs (DPPA): political analysis, mediation support, electoral assistance.
- Department of Peace Operations (DPO): managing globally.
- Department of Operational Support (DOS): providing operational support to UN entities.
- Department for Economic and Social Affairs (DESA): economic and social analysis, SDG support.
- Office of Legal Affairs (OLA): legal services to the UN system.
- Office of the Coordinator of Humanitarian Affairs: the OCHA function.
- Department of Global Communications: UN public information.
- Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance: administration and oversight.
- Department of Safety and Security: protecting UN personnel.
- Many others: covering , drugs and crime, environment, and various specialized functions.
The International Civil Service
International civil servants take an oath of loyalty to the UN rather than to their home governments — formalized in Article 100 of the Charter prohibiting governments from seeking to influence them and prohibiting officials from seeking instructions.
This loyalty principle is the constitutional foundation of the international . In practice, it is sometimes contested:
- Some governments have pressured their nationals in UN service.
- Some senior posts are effectively allocated by geographic distribution, with implicit understanding that the post-holder will be sensitive to certain national interests.
- The relationship between technical professionalism and political reality is continuously negotiated.
Despite these tensions, the international civil service has maintained substantive independence over its 75+ years.
Funding
The Secretariat is funded primarily through the UN regular budget (assessed contributions) — approximately $3.5 billion annually. Additional resources through:
- assessments (separate from the regular budget).
- Extra-budgetary voluntary contributions for specific programs.
- Trust funds for thematic or country-specific work.
The assessed-contributions structure means member states pay according to their economic capacity, with the US as the largest contributor (~22% of the regular budget).
Major Reform Initiatives
Major reform initiatives have addressed:
- Inefficiency: simplifying processes, reducing duplication across agencies.
- Gender parity: achieving 50-50 gender balance at senior levels (achieved at top tiers in 2018-19, continuing work at other levels).
- Sexual exploitation and abuse: addressing SEA cases in UN operations and improving accountability.
- Resident coordinator system: the 2019 reforms making RCs independent of UNDP and giving them stronger coordinating authority.
- Working methods: modernizing UN administration, technology, and HR practices.
Reform has been continuous but incremental — the institution's size and intergovernmental complexity make rapid transformation difficult.
The Secretary-General Role
The Secretary-General is the UN's chief administrative officer and chief diplomat. The role combines:
- Administrative leadership of the Secretariat.
- Diplomatic engagement with member states.
- Public moral voice on global issues.
- Mediation and in international conflicts.
- Strategic vision for the UN's role in addressing global challenges.
Recent Secretaries-General: Ban Ki-moon (2007-2016), António Guterres (2017-2026).
Why It Matters
The Secretariat matters because it is the operational reality of the UN. Without the Secretariat, the UN would be merely a set of intergovernmental meetings; the Secretariat is what makes the UN function as an organization with continuous activity, institutional memory, and operational capacity.
Common Misconceptions
The Secretariat is sometimes confused with the General Assembly. They are different: the General Assembly is the intergovernmental body where member states meet; the Secretariat is the staff who support that body and run UN programs.
Another misconception is that all UN staff are part of the Secretariat. They are not — specialized agencies (WHO, , , etc.) have their own staff who are not Secretariat employees.
Real-World Examples
The 2019 development system reforms restructured how the Secretariat supports country-level UN work. The 2025 UN at 80 reforms are addressing budget pressures and institutional modernization. The annual selection of senior appointments illustrates the political-administrative balance the Secretariat must continuously negotiate.
Example
Article 100 of the Charter requires the Secretary-General and staff 'to refrain from any action which might reflect on their position as international officials responsible only to the Organization.'