Have you ever wondered what Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary General of the United Nations, does at the office everyday?
Does he ever have a normal mundane day in the office?
Is his day more aligned with a superhero character, flying around the world carrying out justice?!
Or, maybe it's a little bit of both?
As the leader of an organization that works to promote and support international cooperation to achieve development for all, the United Nations Secretary-General (UNSG) could reasonably be called the biggest global citizen of us all.
The UN Secretary-General, is sometimes criticized for having little power in the world and his title being nothing more…. Then well, just a title.
Contrary to that mistaken belief, the Secretary-General has a huge role when it comes to international relations in times of peace and turmoil.
On the official United Nations website, the role of the Secretary-General for the UN is described as being “equal parts diplomat and advocate, civil servant and CEO… a symbol of United Nations ideals and a spokesperson for the interests of the world's peoples, in particular the poor and vulnerable among them.”
But what does that really entail?
Secretary-Generals usually come from countries considered small- to medium-sized neutral powers, are career diplomats, and serve no more than two five-year terms.
A typical day at work for the Secretary-General, includes attending sessions of United Nations bodies; consulting with world leaders, government officials, and others leaders; and traveling around the world to keep him/or her in touch with the peoples of the UN Member States as well as informed about the vast array of issues of international concern that are on the organization's agenda.
Despite this huge role, there is often still confusion over exactly what that means in practice. So, here is a quick description of what the UNSG does as a diplomat, advocate, Civil Servant, CEO, and symbol of the United Nations.
Diplomat
One of the most vital roles played by the Secretary-General is the use of his "good offices.” These are the steps taken publicly and privately, drawing upon his independence, impartiality and integrity, to prevent international disputes from arising, escalating or spreading.
The leader of the UN has a direct line to every President, Prime Minister and CEO in the world.
Being the world’s #1 diplomat, involves the Secretary-General's role as a mediator between parties in conflict.
Examples of UN leaders taking on mediation roles in the past include Hammarskjöld's promotion of an armistice between Israel and Arab states and Javier Perez de Cuellar's negotiation of a ceasefire to end the Iraq-Iran War.
Advocate
The UN Secretary-General can be a moral leader for our collective humanity, when others are looking at only their own self interest. Kofi Annan, for example, considered an activist, "world moderator"-style Secretary-General, won a Nobel Prize for encouraging global cooperation on peace. Other Secretary-Generals have been advocates with particular emphasis on education, public health, and/or issues concerning youth.
Forest restoration & reforestation in Africa can contribute to tackling climate change & achieving the #SDGshttps://t.co/FGOd6Wx04Z
— Kofi Annan (@KofiAnnan) March 16, 2016
Sport has essential role in achieving #GlobalGoals. Ban Ki-moon's msg on #IDSDP2016https://t.co/UNhE4H8cVj@unosdppic.twitter.com/yDYItamgN8
— UN Spokesperson (@UN_Spokesperson) April 6, 2016
Civil Servant
Article 99 of the UN Charter says the Secretary-General "may bring to the attention of the Security Council any matter which in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security." The Secretary-General's office shoulders responsibility for overseeing peacekeeping missions and appoints the Under-Secretary in charge of that department, that can involve over 20 missions around the world at one time.
The world’s prosperous nations need to show real ethical leadership to alleviate the suffering of the most vulnerable. KA #aid
— Kofi Annan (@KofiAnnan) January 18, 2016
CEO
The Secretary-General oversees the UN Secretariat, which handles UN operations, including research, translation, and media relations. The Secretariat--the UN's executive office--has a staff of close to nine thousand people from about 170 different countries. Here, the Secretary-General oversees some of the same operations a CEO a huge corporation would have to manage or the president/Prime Minister of a country.
Symbol of the United Nations
The Secretary-General must uphold the values of the UN, even at the risk of challenging member states. He/She serves as a spokesperson for world interests-- particularly the poor and vulnerable. Stephen Schlesinger, a UN expert and former director of the World Policy Institute, said the job can serve as a "perch" used "to rally world public opinion around issues that wouldn't necessarily have been addressed otherwise." The Secretary-General can draw media attention to crises, bring leaders together to tackle complex problems, and push us all to live up to the values of being global citizens.
Ban Ki-moon: when I was displaced during Korean War, the UN flag beacon of hope. Today we must show greater solidarity towards @Refugees
— UN Spokesperson (@UN_Spokesperson) April 6, 2016
The role of the Secretary-General takes on many forms and more importantly is vital in an organization that works to promote and support international cooperation to achieve development for all. The United Nations is about to pick a new leader in an election and for the first time the candidates have to be publically nominated. Now that we know exactly what a Secretary-General does all day it is our duty as global citizens to stay up to date and informed on the election.