CEVAP:

The UN Secretariat is considered the ‘second UN’ and has the capacity to exercise significant influence over the UN itself and occasionally on member states (Karns, Mingst, and Stiles, 2015:134).

The UN Secretariat comprises a series of offices and departments, each of which is headed by an undersecretary-general. Their work involves the implementation of the economic, humanitarian, and social programs that aim to fulfill the Charter’s promises. Several departments are responsible for the conduct of UN peace operations. The Secretariat also undertakes technical tasks such as data collection, research, documentation, and translation (Mingst and Karns, 2012: 39).

Chapter XV of the UN Charter clearly identifies the main tasks that the Secretary General must fulfill:
• To act as the chief administrative officer of the organization,
• To act as the secretary in all meetings of the other principal organs of the UN,
• To perform other functions tasked by these UN bodies,
• To make an annual report to the General Assembly on the work of the UN,
• To bring to the attention of the Security Council matters that may threaten international peace and security,
• To appoint the UN staff under regulations established by the General Assembly.

As the chief diplomat, for instance, the Secretary-General also acts as mediator in conflicts between the member states. Together with the secretariat, the Secretary General also proposes new agenda items on issues ranging from the environment to education for deliberation in UN bodies (Bookmiller, 2008:62).