Under-Secretary-General

In the real United Nations, an Under-Secretary-General (USG) is one of the highest-ranking officials in the Secretariat, appointed by the Secretary-General and ranking just below the Deputy Secretary-General. USGs head departments and offices such as the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), the Department of Peace Operations (DPO), the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and the Office of Legal Affairs. They are typically appointed for fixed terms and serve at the pleasure of the Secretary-General.

In Model UN, the title is borrowed to describe the senior secretariat members of a conference, sitting beneath the Secretary-General and Director-General. Common USG portfolios at large conferences include:

• USG for General Assemblies or Specialized Agencies — overseeing committee directors and chairs in those branches
• USG for Crisis or Crisis Services — running joint crisis committees, crisis staff, and backroom operations
• USG for Delegations or Delegate Affairs — handling delegation recruitment, awards, and logistics
• USG for Conference Services, Operations, or Logistics — venue, transportation, and on-site execution
• USG for Outreach, Communications, or Marketing — branding, social media, and external relations
• USG for Finance or Sponsorship — budgeting and fundraising
• USG for Training or Chargés d'Affaires — staff training and pre-conference preparation

USGs at MUN conferences usually report directly to the Secretary-General, supervise a team of directors or assistant directors, and are responsible for substantive content (background guides, crisis arcs) or operational execution within their portfolio. The position is generally considered the most senior staff role a delegate-turned-staffer can hold before becoming Secretary-General or Director-General, and is often filled through a competitive application process several months before the conference.