The Secretariat — an international staff working in duty stations around the world — carries out the diverse day-to-day work of the Organization. It services the other principal organs of the United Nations and administers the programmes and policies laid down by them. At its head is the Secretary-General, who is appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council for a five-year, renewable term.
The duties carried out by the Secretariat are as varied as the problems dealt with by the United Nations. These range from administering peacekeeping operations to mediating international disputes, from surveying economic and social trends and problems to preparing studies on human rights and sustainable development. Secretariat staff also inform the world's communications media about the work of the United Nations; organize international conferences on issues of worldwide concern; and interpret speeches and translate documents into the Organization's official languages.
As of 30 June 2009, the Secretariat had some 40,000 staff members around the world1.
As international civil servants, staff members and the Secretary-General answer to the United Nations alone for their activities, and take an oath not to seek or receive instructions from any Government or outside authority. Under the Charter, each Member State undertakes to respect the exclusively international character of the responsibilities of the Secretary-General and the staff and to refrain from seeking to influence them improperly in the discharge of their duties.
The United Nations, while headquartered in New York, maintains a significant presence in Addis Ababa, Bangkok, Beirut, Geneva, Nairobi, Santiago and Vienna, and has offices all over the world.
Secretariat Structure
Executive Office of the Secretary-General (EOSG)
- Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General
- Protocol and Liaison Service
- Global Compact Office
- Office of Information and Communication Technology (OICT)
- United Nations Office for Partnerships (UNOP)
Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS)
Office of Legal Affairs (OLA)
- Office of the Legal Counsel
- General Legal Division
- Treaty Section
- Codification Division
- International Trade Law Division
- Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea
Department of Political Affairs (DPA)
- Africa I Division
- Africa II Division
- Americas Division
- Europe Division
- Asia and the Pacific Division
- Middle East and West Asia Division
- Electoral Assistance Division
- Division for Palestinian Rights
- Security Council Affairs Division
- Decolonization Unit
Office for Disarmament Affairs (ODA)
- Weapons of Mass Destruction Branch
- Conventional Arms Branch
- Information and Outreach Branch
- Regional Disarmament Branch
- Conference on Disarmament Secretariat and Conference Support Branch
Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO)
- Office of Operations
- Africa I Division
- Africa II Division
- Asia and Middle East Division
- Europe and Latin America Division
- Office of Military Affairs
- Office of Rule of Law and Security Institutions
- Police Division
- Mine Action Service
- Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Section
- Criminal Law and Judicial Advisory Division
- Policy, Evaluation and Training Division
Department of Field Support (DFS)
- Field Personnel Division
- Field Budget and Finance Division
- Logistics Support Division
- Communication and Information Technology Service
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
- Coordination and Response Division
- Policy Development and Studies Branch
- Advocacy and Information Management Branch
- External Relations and Support Mobilization Branch
- Emergency Services Branch
- International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) Secretariat
Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA)
- Financing for Development Office
- Office for Economic and Social Council Support and Coordination
- Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women
- Division for the Advancement of Women
- Division for Social Policy and Development
- Secretariat of the UN Forum on Forests
- Statistics Division
- Division for Sustainable Development
- Population Division
- Development Policy and Analysis Division
- Division for Public Administration and Development Management
Department for General Assembly and Conference Management (DGACM)
- Office of Protocol and Liaison Service
- Central Planning and Coordination Service
- General Assembly and Economic and Social Council Affairs Division
- Meetings and Publishing Division
- Documentation Division
Department of Public Information (DPI)
- Strategic Communications Division
- News and Media Division
- Outreach Division
Department of Safety and Security (DSS)
- Field Support Service
- Division of Regional Operations
- Division of Headquarters Security and Safety Services
Department of Management (DM)
- Office of Central Support Services
- Business Continuity Management Unit
- Procurement Division
- Facilities and Commercial Services Division
- Office of Human Resources Management
- Strategic Planning and Staffing Division
- Human Resources Policy Service
- Learning, Development and HR Services Division
- Medical Services Division
- Office of Programme Planning, Budget and Accounts
- Programme Planning and Budget Division
- Peacekeeping Financing Division
- Financial Accounting and Contributions Division
- Contributions Service
- Treasury
- Financial Information Operations Service
- Capital Master Plan
Internal Justice Bodies
Ethics Office
Office of the United Nations Ombudsman (OUNO)
Office of Administration of Justice
United Nations Administrative Tribunal (UNAT)
Tribunals
International Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR)
International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY)
Special Advisers, Representatives and Envoys
Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (OHRLLS)
Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (OSAA)
Office of the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide
Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict (OSRSG-CAC)
Special and Personal Representatives and Envoys of the Secretary-General (complete list)
UN Regional Commissions
Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)
Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)
Economic Commission for Europe (ECE)
Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
UN Offices Away From Headquarters
United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG)
United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON)
United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV)
Other Offices
Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED)
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)
Additional Information
- Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations [ST/SGB/2002/2]
- Secretariat Information Circulars
- Secretariat Administrative Instructions
1Secretary-General's report "Composition of the Secretariat" [A/64/352]