The Secretariat carries out the day-to-day work of the United Nations. The Secretary-General of the United Nations is the head of the Secretariat. The Secretary-general is elected by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council and serves a renewable five-year term. The Secretariat employs more than 8,600 individuals who work for the United Nations alone, not for the government of any nation.

The duties of the Secretariat are widespread. Just a few of the offices and programs included in the Secretariat are: the Department of Political Affairs (DPA), the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), the Department of Public Information (DPI), and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). For a more complete listing of the programs under the administration of the Secretariat, click here.

The employees of the Secretariat are deployed across the world and carry out all functions requested by other bodies of the United Nations. Members of the Secretariat are responsible for activities that range from preparing reports on any topic requested by the General Assembly to helping with the implementation of troop deployments. While based in New York, the Secretariat has significant a significant presence in the Geneva, Vienna, and Nairobi.

While the Secretary-general is described in the UN Charter as primarily an administrator, Secretaries-General are often viewed as the public face of the United Nations. They often take both public and private measures to help broker peace agreements and maintain international stability. Some also undertake their own initiatives to help highlight issues of pressing importance to the world community like HIV/AIDS, small arms proliferation and the role of civilians in conflict. The Secretary-general works closely with the members of the Security Council to forestall potential problem areas and to help implement the wishes of the Security Council. Each year the Secretary-general is required to produce a report outlining the activities of the organization and highlighting areas in need of progress.

Recent statements and reports from the Secretary-General's office.