Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations

Responsibilities

Responsibilities generally delegated by the secretary-general to the deputy secretary-general include:

:(a) To assist the Secretary-General in managing the operations of the Secretariat; :(b) To act for the Secretary-General at United Nations Headquarters in the absence of the Secretary-General and in other cases as may be decided by the Secretary-General; :(c) To support the Secretary-General in ensuring inter-sectoral and inter-institutional coherence of activities and programs and to support the Secretary-General in elevating the profile and leadership of the United Nations in the economic and social spheres, including further efforts to strengthen the United Nations as a leading centre for development policy and development assistance; :(d) To represent the Secretary-General at conferences, official functions and ceremonial and other occasions as may be decided by the Secretary-General; :(e) To undertake such assignments as may be determined by the Secretary-General;

The director in the Office of the Deputy Secretary-General is a sitting observer of the United Nations Development Group.

History

Canadian Louise Fréchette was the first deputy secretary-general of the United Nations, holding the position from 1998 to 2005. She was appointed to the post by Secretary-General Kofi Annan and assumed her duties on 2 March 1998. In 2005, partly in response to criticism by former U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker for failed management of the Iraq Oil-for-Food Programme, Frechette announced her resignation. She remained at her post until 31 March 2006.

On 3 March 2006 it was announced that Mark Malloch Brown from the United Kingdom would succeed Louise Fréchette as deputy secretary-general on 1 April 2006. Brown left his post concurrent with Kofi Annan's departure as secretary-general on 31 December 2006.

List of deputy secretaries-general

References

References

1. United Nations. General Assembly (52nd Session). (1997-10-07). "Report of the Secretary-General, Addendum (A/51/950/Add.1)".
2. United Nations. General Assembly (52nd Session). (1997-11-10). "Letter dated 10 November 1997 from the Secretary-General to the President of the General Assembly (A/52/585)".
3. United Nations. General Assembly (52nd Session). (1998-01-09). "Renewing the United Nations: a program for reform (A/RES/52/12 B)".
4. United Nations Dept. of Public Information. "Deputy Secretary-General".
5. "UNDG Members".
6. (15 December 2016). "Respecting gender parity and geographical diversity pledges, SG-designate Guterres appoints core team members". United Nations.