Essay: The Secretary-General plays an important role to overcome challenges facing the UN

United Nations as an intergovernmental organization wan established on 24 October 1945 after World War II. It is currently made up of 193 member states instead of before only 51 member states. The headquarters of the United Nations is in Manhattan, New York City and the main offices are situated in Geneva, Nairobi and Vienna. United Nation’s objective consists of maintaining international peace and security, promote sustainable development, protect human rights, uphold international law and deliver humanitarian aid (United Nation, n.d.).
1.1 HISTORY OF UNITED NATIONS
Despite the ineffective of the League of Nations in arbitrating the conflicts that led up to World War II, United Nations was born as a means of better arbitrating international conflict and maintaining peace. In August 1941, the idea of the United Nations began to be articulated when U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill signed the Atlantic Charter, which suggested a set of principle for international collaboration in retaining peace and security (U.N. formally established, 2010). Roosevelt coined “United Nations” in the Declaration by United Nations of 1 January 1942 while representatives of 26 Allied nations met in Washington, D.C. pledged their Governments to continue fighting together against to Germany, Italy and Japan, the Axis Powers (United Nations, n.d.). On April 25, 1945, the principles of the U.N. Charter were first formulated at the San Francisco Conference with 50 nations represented, including 9 continental European states, 21North, Central, and South American republics, 7 Middle Eastern states, 5 British Commonwealth nations, 2 Soviet republics, 2 East Asian nations, and 3 African states ( The United Nation is born, 2009). The United Nations came into force upon its ratification by the five permanent members which is China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States and by a majority of other signatories (U.N. formally established, 2010).
1.2 MEMBER STATES OF THE UNITED NATIONS
There are 193 member states currently and each of the is a member of the United Nations General Assembly. United Nations General Assembly is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation (United Nations General Assembly, n.d.). The United Nations Charter, Chapter II set out the criteria for admission of new member states (Member states of the United Nations, n.d.). On 24 October 1945, only 51 original member states joined that year; 50 of them signed the Charter on 26 June 1945 while Poland, which was not represented at the conference, signed it on 15 October 1945. The original members of the United Nations were France, the Republic of China, theUnion of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United States of America, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Belarus, Belgium,Bolivia, Canada, Chile, Cuba, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, theDominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Greece, Guatemala,Haiti, Honduras, India, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Liberia, Luxembourg, Mexico,Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines,Poland, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Syria, Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay, Venezuela andYugoslavia. However, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia had been dissolved and their memberships in the United Nations were not continued from 1992 (Member states of the United Nations, n.d.). For the current members:
Member state Date of admission Member state Date of admission
Afghanistan 19 November 1946 98. Liechtenstein 18 September 1990
2. Albania 14 December 1955 99. Lithuania 17 September 1991
3. Algeria 8 October 1962 100.Luxembourg 24 October 1945
4. Andorra 28 July 1993 101.Madagascar 20 September 1960
5. Angola 1 December 1976 102.Malawi 1 December 1964
6. Antigua and 103.Malaysia 17 September 1957
Barbuda 11 November 1981 104.Maldives 21 September 1965
7. Argentina 24 October 1945 105.Mali 28 September 1960
8. Armenia 2 March 1992 106.Malta 1 December 1964
9. Australia 1 November 1945 107.Marshall Islands 17 September 1991
10. Austria 14 December 1955 108.Mauritania 27 October 1961
11. Azerbaijan 2 March 1992 109.Mauritius 24 April 1968
12. Bahamas 18 September 1973 110.Mexico 7 November 1945
13. Bahrain 21 September 1971 111.Micronesia 17 September 1991
14. Bangladesh 17 September 1974 112.Monaco 28 May 1993
15. Barbados 9 December 1966 113.Mongolia 27 October 1961
16. Belarus 24 October 1945 114.Montenegro 28 June 2006
17. Belgium 27 December 1945 115. Morocco 12 November 1956
18. Belize 25 September 1981 116.Mozambique 16 September 1975
19. Benin 20 September 1960 117.Myanmar 19 April 1948
20. Bhutan 21 September 1971 118.Namibia 23 April 1990
21. Bolivia 14 November 1945 119.Nauru 14 September 1999
22. Bosnia and 120.Nepal 14 December 1955
Herzegovina 22 May 1992 121.Netherlands 10 December 1945
23. Botswana 17 October 1966 122.New Zealand 24 October 1945
24. Brazil 24 October 1945 123.Nicaragua 24 October 1945
25. Brunei Darussalam 21 September 1984 126.Niger 20 September 1960
26. Bulgaria 14 December 1955 125.Nigeria 7 October 1960
27. Burkina Faso 20 September 1960 126.Norway 27 November 1945
28. Burundi 18 September 1962 127.Oman 7 October 1971
29. Cabo Verde 16 September 1975 128.Pakistan 30 September 1947
30. Cambodia 14 December 1955 129.Palau 15 December 1994
31. Cameroon 20 September 1960 130.Panama 13 November 1945
32. Canada 9 November 1945 131.Papua New Guinea 10 October 1975
33. Central African 132.Paraguay 24 October 1945
Republic 20 September 1960 133.Peru 31 October 1945
34. Chad 20 September 1960 134.Philippines 24 October 1945
35. Chile 24 October 1945 135.Poland 24 October 1945
36. China 24 October 1945 136.Portugal 14 December 1955
37. Colombia 5 November 1945 137.Qatar 21 September 1971
38. Comoros 12 November 1975 138.Republic of Korea 17 September 1991
39. Congo 20 September 1960 139.Republic of Moldova 2 March 1992
40. Costa Rica 2 November 1945 140.Romania 14 December 1955
41. Côte d’Ivoire 20 September 1960 141.Russian Federation 24 October 1945
42. Croatia 22 May 1992 142.Rwanda 18 September 1962
43. Cuba 24 October 1945 143.Saint Kitts and Nevis 23 September 1983
44. Cyprus 20 September 1960 144.Saint Lucia 18 September 1979
45. Czech Republic 19 January 1993 145.Saint Vincent and
46. Democratic People’s the Grenadines 16 September 1980
Republic of Korea 17 September 1991 146.Samoa 15 December 1976
Democratic Republic 147.San Marino 2 March 1992
of the Congo 20 September 1960 148.Sao Tome and
48. Denmark 24 October 1945 Principe 16 September 1975
49. Djibouti 20 September 1977 149.Saudi Arabia 24 October 1945
50. Dominica 18 December 1978 150.enegal 28 September 1960
51. Dominican Republic 24 October 1945 151.Serbia 1 November 2000
52. Ecuador 21 December 1945 152.Seychelles 21 September 1976
53. Egypt 24 October 1945 153.Sierra Leone 27 September 1961
54. El Salvador 24 October 1945 154.Singapore 21 September 1965
55. Equatorial Guinea 12 November 1968 155.Slovakia 19 January 1993
56. Eritrea 28 May 1993 156.Slovenia 22 May 1992
57. Estonia 17 September 1991 157.Solomon Islands 19 September 1978
58. Ethiopia 13 November 1945 158.Somalia 20 September 1960
59. Fiji 13 October 1970 159.South Africa 7 November 1945
60. Finland 14 December 1955 160.South Sudan 14 July 2011
61. France 24 October 1945 161.Spain 14 December 1955
62. Gabon 20 September 1960 162.Sri Lanka 14 December 1955
63. Gambia 21 September 1965 163.Sudan 12 November 1956
64. Georgia 31 July 1992 164.Suriname 4 December 1975
65. Germany 18 September 1973 165.Swaziland 24 September 1968
66. Ghana 8 March 1957 166.Sweden 19 November 1946
67. Greece 25 October 1945 167.Switzerland 10 September 2002
68. Grenada 17 September 1974 168.Syrian Arab Republic 24 October 1945
69. Guatemala 21 November 1945 169.Tajikistan 2 March 1992
70. Guinea 12 December 1958 170.Thailand 16 December 1946
71. Guinea-Bissau 17 September 1974 171.The former Yugoslav
72. Guyana 20 September 1966 Republic of Macedonia 8 April 1993
73. Haiti 24 October 1945 172.Timor-Leste 27 September 2002
74. Honduras 17 December 1945 173.Togo 20 September 1960
75. Hungary 14 December 1955 174.Tonga 14 September 1999
76. Iceland 19 November 1946 175.Trinidad and Tobago 18 September 1962
77. India 30 October 1945 176.Tunisia 12 November 1956
78. Indonesia 28 September 1950 177.Turkey 24 October 1945
79. Iran 24 October 1945 178.Turkmenistan 2 March 1992
80. Iraq 21 December 1945 179.Tuvalu 5 September 2000
81. Ireland 14 December 1955 180.Uganda 25 October 1962
82. Israel 11 May 1949 181.Ukraine 24 October 1945
83. Italy 14 December 1955 182.United Arab Emirates 9 December 1971
84. Jamaica 18 September 1962 183.United Kingdom of
85. Japan 18 December 1956 Great Britain and
86. Jordan 14 December 1955 Northern Ireland 24 October 1945
87. Kazakhstan 2 March 1992 184.United Republic
88. Kenya 16 December 1963 of Tanzania 14 December 1961
89. Kiribati 14 September 1999 185.United States of
90. Kuwait 14 May 1963 America 24 October 1945
91. Kyrgyzstan 2 March 1992 186.Uruguay 18 December 1945
92. Lao People’s 187.Uzbekistan 2 March 1992
Democratic 188.Vanuatu 15 September 1981
Republic 14 December 1955 189.Venezuela 15 November 1945
93. Latvia 17 September 1991 190.Vietnam 20 September 1977
94. Lebanon 24 October 1945 191.Yemen 30 September 1947
95. Lesotho 17 October 1966 192.Zambia 1 December 1964
96. Liberia 2 November 1945 193.Zimbabwe 25 August 1980
97. Libya 14 December 1955
Table 1.0 : List of 193 member states in United Nations. Adopted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Member_states_of_the_United_Nations
2.0 ROLE OF THE UNITED NATIONS
United Nations play an important role in our world which is maintaining international peace and security, promote sustainable development, protect human rights, uphold international law and deliver humanitarian aid.
First, because of the World War II happened, so the primary and the profound desirable purpose behind the establishment of the United Nations is maintaining international peace and security. Without it, no international cooperation and no harmonization of nation’s action could be achieved (Abdulrahim.W., n.d.). What United Nations had done in maintaining international peace and security is working to prevent conflict, peacekeeping, helping parties in conflict make peace and creating conditions to allow peace to hold and flourish (United Nations, n.d.). Besides that, United Nations also emphasized it in the preamble and the United Nations Charter to underline the importance of international peace and security. In order to continually maintain international peace and security, United Nations, Secretary-General and General Assembly play important and major roles, along with other United Nations offices and bodies.
Second, promote sustainable development where sustainable development means development that promotes prosperity and economic opportunity, greater social well-being, and protection of the environment (United Nations, n.d.). The main focuses of the United Nation is improving people’s well-being and this sustainable development offers the best way for improving people’s well-being. In order to achieve this role, United Nations had develop sustainable development agenda and climate action to promote sustainable development. The agenda include 2015 Time for Global Action for People and Planet and The Millennium Development Goals. In The Millennium Development Goals, Secretary-General has launched different initiatives which is the Zero Hunger Challenge and Every Woman, Every Child. Moreover, the climate action include UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Sustainable Energy for All, climate change agreement in Paris in 2015, and Climate Summit (United Nations, n.d.).
Third, United Nations also play an important role in protecting human rights which is the core purpose of the United Nations. The United Nations system has 2 main types of bodies to help protecting the human rights which is Charter Bodies and Treaty Bodies. Charter bodies is under the United Nation Charter to fulfill the general purpose of United Nations to promote human rights. Under Charter bodies, we have The Human Rights Council (HRC) which responsible is to review the human rights record of every United Nations member states once every four years and to make recommendations for improvement and Office Of The United Nations High Commissioner For Human Rights (OHCHR) which responsible is to prevent human rights violations and secure for human rights. Furthermore, the role of treaty bodies is to monitor and promote compliance with a particular human rights treaty (Human Rights Explained: Fact sheet 8:Promoting and Protecting Human Rights in the UN System, n.d.). United Nations also implement the “Human Rights up Front” action plan in order to protect human rights (United Nations, n.d.).
Forth, the role of United Nations in upholding international law have an objective which is to maintain justice and respect for the responsibility arising from treaties and other source of international law. The United Nations has given the Security Council the authority to authorize peacekeeping missions, enforce sanctions, or use of force when there is a intimidation to the international peace and security (United Nations, n.d.). Moreover, General Assembly is responsible to consider, discuss and make recommendations to vote in a court (Stratton, J. , 2009).
Last but not least, United Nations is responsible in delivering humanitarian aid. Humanitarian aid means that material and logistic assistance to help people in need (Humanitarian aid, n.d.). When there is the victims of natural disasters, wars, famines, people which is homeless and refugees, United Nations will provide them with the relief, support and assistance (United Nations, n.d.). The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) had put many effort in delivering humanitarian aid. For example, OCHA managed Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to support rapid emergencies for people affected by the wars and natural disasters. Furthermore, United Nations also conduct many programme to help those people such as United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) (United Nations, n.d.).
In conclusion, we can see that United Nations play a very crucial role in maintaining international peace and security, promoting sustainable development, protecting human rights, upholding international law and delivering humanitarian aid.
3.0 CHALLENGES FACED BY THE UNITED NATIONS
According to the Sumisha Naidu, temperature now could reach up to 40°C in Malaysia (Naidu, S., 2016). We can see that the temperature increase day by day, lead to global warning that cause by the accumulated carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere and the greenhouse effect. Hence, United Nations faces the challenges in climate change in order to maintain the peacefulness in the world. United Nations need to take into the account of the climate change because climate change can bring a very serious effect to the world. For instance, floods and droughts will become normal cause by the rising of the sea level, less fresh water available, spread of disease such as malaria and even change the ecosystem (Effect of Global Warning, n.d.). Since global warming can bring numerous bad effect to the world, so United Nations should take some actions to overcome this challenges.
Moreover, international security is also a challenge faced by the United Nations. At this modern era, more advanced cybertools allow states to attack another states within 5 seconds. These tools, together with a widespread, rapidly and uncertainly about the rules that may control the states behavior in cyberspace, which lead to increasing the risk of cyberconflict between states. As the role of the United Nations is to maintain international peace and security, therefore it was important for United Nations to highlight this challenge by clarifying and affirming the application of international law to govern state behavior in cyberspace to prevent the conflicts between them. However, the situation in the cyberspace are difficult to control because of some factors which is risks, threats and vulnerabilities. Even though it is difficult to control, United Nations should put more effort to turnover this challenge to opportunities that will bring the good effect to the United Nations (Wolter, D., 2013).
Finally, United Nations also face the challenge of international terrorism which concern about the proliferation of the nuclear weapons such as atomic bomb, hydrogen bomb, dirty bomb and others and the dangers from other non-conventional weapons especially a nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. (United Nations, n.d.). International terrorism can cause very serious impact in the world which classific to the economic impact, society impact and political impact. Economic impact involves government need to spending more expenditures on security to protect people, loss of life, infrastructures and business; Society impact includes people will feel fear and panic and create atmosphere of suspicion; Political impact involves terrorism makes the world politics mire difficult and complicated (Sakada, S., 2015). From the impact above, we can see that international terrorism brings very serious impact to the world, so United Nations need to strengthen their role in the anti-terrorist struggle.
In conclusion, the challenges faced by the United Nations include climate change, international security and international terrorism. Hence, United Nations should put more efforts to overcome this challenges to make the better world in order to increase to living standard of the people.
4.0 SECRETARY-GENERAL OF UNITED NATIONS
The Secretary-General is the leader of the United Nations Secretariat which is one of the principal organs of the United Nations. Actually, Secretary-General also acts as the spokesperson and the head of the United Nations. The current Secretary-General of the United Nations is Ban Ki-moon which is a South Korean, who took office on 1 January 2007 (Secretary-General of the United Nations, n.d.).
4.1 THE BIOGRAPHY OF BAN KI-MOON
Ban Ki-moon was born on 13 June 1944 while his secondary school is Chungju High School and he received a bachelor of degree in International relations from Seoul National University in 1970. When he was in the Chungju High School, he got sponsored by the Red Cross to earn a trip to United States. During the trip, he met U.S. President John F. Kennedy and tell the president that he want to be a diplomat when he grew up. In 1985, he also awarded a Master of Public Administration by the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Moreover, Ban Ki-moon earned an degree of Doctor of Laws (Honoris Cause) from the University of Malta on 22 April 2009. He further awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws by the University of Washington on October 2009 and by the University of Cambridge on February 2016 (Ban Ki-moon, n.d.).
After graduated, Ban Ki-moon joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in May 1970 and accepted his first post which served as vice consul in New Delhi, India. After that, he served as Frist Secretary of the South Permanent Observer Mission, then director of the United Nations’ International Organization and Treaties Bureau, headquartered in Seoul. Between 1990 and 1992, Ban Ki-moon became Director-General for American Affairs followed by Vice Chairman of the South-North Joint Nuclear Control Commission in 1992. He was also promoted to the position of Kores’s deputy ambassador to the United States in 1993 and 1994 followed by the position of Deputy Minister for Policy Planning and International Organization in 1995. A year later, he was served as National Security Advisor to the President and then appointed Ambassador to Austria and Slovenia in 1998. After that, he was unemployed for some years. However, in 2001, Ban Ki-moon was appointed to be the chief of staff to general assembly president Han Seung-soo and the he also been selected by the incoming president Roh Moo-hyun to become one of his foreign policy advisors in 2003. Under president Roh Mon-hyun in 2004, Ban Ki-moon served as foreign minister of South Korea which replaced Yoon Young-Kwan. After that, he became Secretary-General of the United Nations on 1 January 2007 and expired on 31 December followed by his second term which is on 21 June 2011 and will continue to serve until 31 December 2016 (Ban Ki-moon, n.d.).
4.2 THE ROLE OF A SECRETARY-GENERAL
The charter gives the name of “chief administrative officer” to the Secretary-General of United Nations. As we can see, Secretary-General play a very crucial role in United Nations no matter attending at sessions of the United Nations or consultation with world leaders and government officials (United Nations, n.d.). Hence, what is the exactly role of secretary-general?
First, secretary-general plays an important role as administrative. He is the head of the United Nations Secretariat which the secretary-general oversees the operations of the United Nations Secretarial including research, translation and media relations ( Zissis, C. and Vriens, L., 2011). Hence, we can say that secretary-general serve a crucial role in creating and maintaining the team spirit in the United Nations Secretariat. Moreover, secretary-general also play a role as the channel of all communication between the organs in the United Nations. Secretary-general also need to ensure that the operations of the United Nations run smoothly and efficiently. Secretary-general also responsible in preparing the organs’ work and execute of their decisions in cooperation with the members ( B : The Secretary-General Functions, Term of Appointment and Procedure of Appointment, n.d. ).
The second role of the secretary-general in the United Nations is Human Resources. In this human resources’ role, secretary-general is hiring for approximately 50 United Nations’ post including the heads of funds such as UNICEF and UNDP. Secretary-general also need to fix the right people in the right position with their specific capability, talent and ability to ensure that the operations of the United Nations Secretariat will run smoothly, efficiently and harmony. Besides that, the hiring process plays by secretary-general also include lobbying from members in filling posts with their nationals. In order to ensure broad regional representation, secretary-general play an important role in negotiating with the Security Council and General Assembly (Zissis, C. and Vriens, L., 2011).
Third, secretary-general play a key role in peacekeeping. Peacekeeping is a way to help countries torn by conflict to create conditions for sustainable peace (List of United Nations peacekeeping missions, n.d.). Secretary-general serve as the official leader of the mission which is the first of the three power center in the peacekeeping missions. Secretary-general are responsible for all diplomatic and political activity, supervising relations with both the parties to the peace treaty and the United Nations member-states in general (United Nations peacekeeping, n.d.).
Last but not least, secretary-general play a leading role in mediation which is the mediator between the parties when there is a conflict. Secretary-general need to prevent and stop the spread of conflict to ensure that the operations of the United Nations run harmony and smoothly (Zissis, C. and Vriens, L., 2011). Furthermore, secretary-general also help parties persue and design processes that will find the root causes of their conflicts, overcome obstacle that stop the operations of the United Nations and achieve agreement to maintain sustainable peace (Report of the UN Secretary-General on Enhancing Mediation and its Support Activities, 2009).
In conclusion, we can see that secretary-general play an important role in administrative, human resources, peacekeeping and mediation.
4.3 QUALITIES AND DISCIPLINE OF A SECRETARY-GENERAL
In order to the view of the practices and achievement of the successive Secretary-General, there are some qualities and discipline that a secretary-general required. Since secretary-general play an important role in the United Nations, so secretary-general need many qualities and discipline to ensure that secretary-general play their role effectively and efficiently.
First, the qualities and discipline that a secretary-general should have is practical intelligence which means that ability to best fix himself or herself and the demand of the environment (Meunier, J., 2003). In United Nations, secretary-general need to have the ability to absorb, remember and mentally organize a wide range of information in order to have the deep understanding and knowledge in the field of diplomacy, security, international politics, law, economy and history (Kurtev, L., 2016). Moreover, secretary-general also need to know how to see the shapes and patterns in the data flow to help analysis the data and able to see opportunities when they arise. Although secretary-general no need to generate good ideas, but it is important for secretary-general to recognize them. Secretary-general also need to know enough about people and their foibles so that he or she will do the right personnel choices (Evans, G., 2006).
Second, confidentiality is also a crucial quality and discipline to the secretary-general. As a secretary-general in United Nations, secretary-general will manage a huge amount of information that is private. Hence, secretary-general need to be confidentially manage this information so that the 193 member states will able to trust you. As the role of the secretary-general mostly need to communicate between the organs in the United Nations and the member states, so feel confident when communicate is very important to ensure that the parties will not loss confident in you. Furthermore, secretary-general also need to communicate confidentially when become the mediator to overcome the conflict between the parties. If not, the parties will not listen to you and the impact of the conflict will spread more seriously. Hence, we can see that confidentially in secretary-general play a very crucial role to ensure the successive of the secretary-general.
Lastly, the qualities and the discipline that a secretary-general need to have is professionalism. Secretary-general need to present him or herself and behave in a professional manner with a good attitude. Beside dress well and control your body language, keeping your personal traits also is a part to present secretary-general in a professional look (Ribeiro, M., 2012). Secretary-general is the head of the United Nations Secretariat, so he or she is the model of the parties in the United Nations Secretariat. Hence, in order to make sure that the operations of the United Nations Secretariat run smoothly and efficiently, secretary-general have to present him or herself in a professional look without any ethical dilemma. Moreover, secretary-general should be fluent in as many languages as possible which is essential to the process of maintaining international peace and security, propelling political agreement, social and economic development (Kurtev, L., 2016).
In conclusion, secretary-general need the qualities and discipline which is practical intelligence, confidentially and professionalism in order to success in the post of United Nations secretary-general.
5.0 CONCLUSION
United Nations has been established for 71 years and currently has 193 member states in United Nations. The United Nations play a key role in the world which include maintaining international peace and security, promoting sustainable development, protecting human rights, upholding international law and delivering humanitarian aid. Without United Nations, how chaos will the world look like. However, in this world with the wake of developments in science and technology, many challenges occur to prevent United Nations from implementing its’ role such as climate change, international security and international terrorism. Hence, in order to maintain international peace and security, Secretary-General play an important role to overcome this challenges which is administrative, human resources, peacekeeping and mediation together with their qualities and discipline which is practical intelligence, confidentially and professionalism.