The main aim of this paper is to study the role of the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the background of the UN. Besides, to study a few challenges that faced by the UN such a peace and security and how they maintain the international peace and security. As the world’s only truly universal worldwide organization, the United Nations has become the primary forum to address issues that transcend national limits and cannot be resolved by any one country acting alone. While fight resolution and peacekeeping continue to be among its most visible efforts. The UN, along with its specialized agencies, is also engaged in a large array of activities to improve people’s lives around the world – from emergency relief, through education and advancement of women, to peaceful uses of atomic energy. Lastly, to discuss about the qualities of an effective Secretary General should have.
TABLE OF CONTENT
ABSTRACT 1
1.0 INTRODUCTION 3
2.0 CHALLENGES FACED BY THE UNITED NATIONS 4
3.0 THE ROLE OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL 8
4.0 HOW DOES THE UN MAINTAIN INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY? 10
5.0 QUALITIES AND DISCIPLINE OF AN EFFECTIVE SECRETARY-GENERAL 12
CONCLUSION 16
BIBILIOGRAPHY 17
1.0 INTRODUCTION
The United Nation (UN) is a multinational organization that was established on 24 October 1945 to promote international cooperation. The organization was created following World War II to prevent from another conflict to replace the League of Nations. The UN had 51 member states but there are now 193 member states at the time it was founded. The goal and work of the UN are guided by the principles contained in its founding Charter. To keep the world peace , to help countries get along , to increase living conditions for people all over the world and also to make the world a better place are the main goals of the UN . The UN done this by working to prevent conflict, helping parties in conflict peacekeeping, to make peace, and creating the conditions to allow peace to hold and flourish.
The nations of the world formed the League of Nations after the World War I. This organization was a place where nations could talk through their differences peacefully. However, some countries ignored the League and tried to solve their problems through war because of the members of the League of Nations did not want to go to war to protect other members, the League failed and the Second World War began.
The Allied Power often called themselves “The United Nations” during the World War II. For the world peace after the war, the winners formed a new organization. The name of “United Nations" was decided on 25th April 1945 in San Francisco.
The Secretary-General of the UN is a symbol of the Organization’s ideals and a spokesperson for the matter of the world’s peoples, in particular the poor and defenseless. The Mr. Ban Ki Moon of the Republic of Korea is the current Secretary-General of the UN, and the eighth occupant of the post, who took office on 1 January 2007. The UN Charter describe the Secretary-General as “Chief Administrative Officer” of the organization.
2.0 CHALLENGES FACED BY THE UNITED NATIONS
2.1 CONFLICT PREVENTION
One of the challenges faced by the United Nations is conflict prevention and which is remains one of the main objectives of the UN. In today’s world , preventive action extends well beyond traditional preventive diplomacy to involve a board constellation of UN entities working across a wide range of disciplines—poverty eradication and development , human rights and the principle of law , elections and the building of democratic institutions and the control of small arms , to name just a minor .
The Department of Political Affairs plays a central role in these works such as monitoring and assessing worldwide political developments, recommending the UN Secretary-General on actions that could ahead in position the cause of peace, providing support and guidance to the UN peace envoys and political missions in the field, and serving Member States precisely through electoral assistance and through the support of the work of the Security Council and other UN bodies.
2.2 PEACEKEEPING
In 1948 , the first UN peacekeeping mission was established , when the Security Council authorized the deployment of the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) to the Middle East to monitor the Armistice Agreement between Israel and its Arab nearby neighbors . Since then, there have been a total of 64 UN peacekeeping operations around the world .The UN peacekeeping has derive to meet the requests of different conflicts and a changing political landscape over the years. Born at the time when the Cold War rivalries frequently paralyzed and stabilizing situations on the ground, so that works could be made at the political level to resolve the conflict by peaceful means.
The nature of conflicts has also changed over the years. Basically developed as a means of dealing with inter-state conflict, UN peacekeeping has been progressively applied to intra-State conflicts and civil wars. Today’s peacekeepers offer a wide variety of complex tasks , from helping to build continuous institutions of governance , through human rights monitoring and security sector reform , to the disrespect , demobilization and reintegration of former combatants , and demining although the military remain the backbone of most peacekeeping operations .
2.3 PEACEBUILDING
The experience of recent years has also lead the UN to focus as never before on peace building ,efforts to reduce a country’s risk of lapsing or regression into conflict by strengthening national capacities for clash management , and to lay the foundations for continuous peace and development .
Building lasting peace in war-torn societies is among discouraging of challenges for world peace and security. Peace building requires sustained international support for national struggles across the broadest range of activities – monitoring ceasefires, demobilizing and reintegrating combatants, assisting the arrival of refugees and displaced persons, helping organize and monitor elections of a new government, supporting fairness and security sector reform, enhancing human rights protections and fostering reconciliation after past atrocities.
The UN has been at the center of expanding international peace building efforts, from the authentication of peace agreements in southern Africa, Central America and Cambodia in the 1990s, to consequent efforts to develop peace and strengthen states in the Balkans, Timor-Leste, and West Africa, to contemporary actions in Afghanistan, Haiti and Sudan.
Knowing that the UN needs to see and respond to the objections of peace building the 2005 World Summit authorized the creation of a new Peace building Commission. In the resolutions establishing the Peace building Commission which is resolution 60/180 and resolution 1645 (2005) , the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council mandated it to bring together all appropriate actors to advise on the proposed integrated strategies for post conflict peace building and improvement , to marshal resources and help ensure predictable financing for these activities , and to promote best practices in collaboration with political , security , humanitarian and development actors .
The resolutions also recognize the need for the Commission to extend the period of international attention on post-conflict countries and where necessary, focus any gaps which threaten to undermine peace building.
The General Assembly and the Security Council decisions establishing the Peace building Commission also provided for the establishment of a Peace building Fund and Peace building Support Office.
2.4 DEVELOPMENT
The United Nations development efforts have profoundly affected the loves and well-being of millions of people throughout the world. Guiding the United Nations endeavors is the conviction that lasting international peace and security are achievable only if the economic and social well-being of people everywhere is assured.
Many of the economic and social transformations that have taken place universally since 1945 have been significantly affected in their direction and shape by the work of the UN. As the Global Centre for consensus-building, the UN has set priorities and objectives for international participation to assist countries in their development efforts and to foster a supportive global economic environment.
The UN has played an important role in building international consensus on action for development. The General Assembly has helped set priorities and objectives through a series of 10 years International Development Strategies in the beginning of 1960. While focusing on issues of particular concern, the Decades have consistently stresses the need for progress on all conditions of social and economic development.
At the Millennium Summit in September 2000, world conductor adopted a set of Millennium Development Goals objective at eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, encouraging gender equality and empowering women, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and others, and guarantee environmental sustainability — through a set of measurable targets to be achieved by the year 2005. Among these are cutting in half the proportion of those who earn less than a dollar a day , achieving universal primary schooling , eliminating gender disparity at all levels of education , and dramatically lowering child mortality while increasing maternal health . The 2010 UN Summit on the Millennium Development Goals concluded with the adoption of global action plan to achieve the eight anti-poverty goals by their 2015 target date and the news of major new commitments for women’s and children’s health and other initiatives against poverty , hunger and diseases .
The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is the principal body coordinating the economic and social work of the United Nations. The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs
(DESA) gives support to the intergovernmental processes on growth issues in the General Assembly and in the Economic and Social Council, its functional commissions and professional bodies.
The UN is the only global institution committed to development. Nearly every management in the UN family has some aspect of development assistance and cooperation as its focus, either directly or indirectly. The UN Development Group unites the 33 UN funds, programs, agencies, departments, and offices that play a primary act in development efforts.
Taking the lead in this effort is the UN Development Programmed (UNDP), which is on the ground in 166 countries. The each year Human Development Report, commissioned by UNDP, focuses the global argument on key development issues, providing new measurement tools
The UN Environment Programmed (UNEP) works to strengthen sound environmental practices everywhere, and the UN Human Settlements Programmed (UN Habitat) promotes socially and environmentally livable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all.
To increase the participation of expanding countries in the global economy, the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) build up international trade. UNCTAD also works with the World Trade Organization (WTO), a separate entity, in assisting promoting countries’ exports.
The World Bank Group extends billions of dollar every year in low-interest loans , interest-free credits and grants to developing countries for a large array of purposes that include investments in education , health , public agency , infrastructure , financial and private sector development , agriculture and environmental and natural resource management .
To quicken development in Africa, which has 39 of the world’s poorest countries, the UN system works intimately with the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), an African Union initiative that serves as a framework for international guide for African development.
3.0 THE ROLE OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
Equal parts expert and advocate, civil servant and CEO, the Secretary-General is a symbol of United Nations ideals and a spokesperson for the matters of the world’s peoples, in particular the poor and helpless among them. The current Secretary-General Mr. Ban Ki Moon of the Republic of Korea who took office on 1 January 2007, and the eighth occupant of the post.
The Charter labels the Secretary-General as “chief administrative officer” of the Organization that must take an action and act in that space and perform “such other functions as are authorized” to him or her by the Security Council and other United Nations organs . The Secretary-General to “bring to the concentration of the Security Council any matter which in his opinion may enforce the maintenance of international peace and security” also entitle by The Charter. These guidance both describe the powers of the office and grant it considerable capacity for action. If the Secretary-General did not take careful account of the involvements of Member States , he would fail, but he also need to encourage the values and moral authority of the United Nations , and speak and move for peace , even at risk , from time to time , of challenging with the Member States .
That creative tension accompanies the Secretary-General through day-to-day work that includes attending at sessions of United Nations bodies , conferences with world leaders , government officials , and others , and global travel set to keep him in touch with the peoples of the Organization’s Member States and informed about the boundless array of issues of international concern that are on the Organization’s agenda . The Secretary-General issues a report on the work of the United Nations that evaluates its activities and outlines future priorities each year. The Chairman of the UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB) is the Secretary-General , which brings together the Executive Heads of all UN funds , programs and specialized agencies twice in a year in order to further coordination and cooperation in the entire range of authentic and management issues facing the UN System .
One of the most important performance played by the Secretary-General is the use of his “good offices”—steps taken plainly and in private, drawing upon his ability, honestly and integrity, to prevent international conflict form rising, expanding or spreading. Besides, the Secretary-General also needs to assure meetings are completely organized and minutes and also maintaining efficient records and administration. He needs to keep up-to-date contact details for the management committee and public members of the organization, filing minutes and news, keeping a diary of future actions and also keeping a record of the organization’s activities.
4.0 HOW DOES THE UN MAINTAIN INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY?
4.1 PREVENTIVE DIPLOMACY AND MEDIATION
The most effective way to lower human suffering and the massive economic costs of conflicts and their aftermaths is to avoid conflicts in the first place. The United Nations plays an important role in conflict prevention, using diplomacy, good offices and attempt to bring to agreement. Among the tools the Organization uses to bring peace are special envoys and political missions in the field.
4.2 PEACEKEEPING
Peacekeeping has proven to be one of the most productive tools available to the UN to assist host countries navigate the crucial path from conflict to peace. Today’s multidimensional peacekeeping operations are called upon not only to maintain peace and security , and also to facilitate political processes , protect civilians , assist in the disarmament , demobilization and reintegration of former combatants , guide constitutional processes and the organization of elections , protect and publicize human rights and assist in restoring the rule of law and extending legitimate state authority . At the UN Headquarters in New York, peacekeeping actions get their mandates from the UN Security Council, their troops and police are provided by Members States, and they are handled by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and supported by the Department of Field Support. There are 16 UN peacekeeping operations currently deployed and there have been a total of 69 deployed since 1948.
4.3 PEACEBUILDING
United Nations peace building activities are intended at assisting countries emerging from conflict, reducing the risk of recurrence into conflict and at laying the foundation for sustainable peace and development. The UN peace building architecture consist of the Peace building Commission , the Peace building Fund and the Peace building Commission with strategic suggest and policy guidance , administers the Peace building Fund and serves the Secretary-General in coordinating United Nations agencies in their peace building works .
4.4 WHAT UN BODIES WORK TO PROMOTE DEVELOPMENT?
The issues relating to economic growth, human settlements, poverty eradication, globalization and information and communication technologies was deals by The General Assembly's Second Committee (Economic and Financial).
The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs works jointly with governments and stakeholders to help countries around the world to meet their economic, social and environmental targets. The United Nations Development Programmed works with people at all levels of society to help form nations that can withstand crisis and drive and sustain the kind of growth that improves the condition of life for everyone. Many UN agencies work on specific aspects of development, such as the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization, UNICEF, UNESCO, and the UN Environment Programmed.
While the world has achieved improvement towards gender equality under the UN Millennium Development Goals, women and girls continue to endure discrimination and violence in every part of the world. Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but an essential foundation for a harmonious, prosperous and sustainable world. UN Women works to eliminate discrimination towards women and girls, empower all women, and achieve equality between women and men as spouse and beneficiaries of development, human rights, and peace and security.
5.0 QUALITIES AND DISCIPLINE OF AN EFFECTIVE SECRETARY-GENERAL
5.1 PRACTICAL INTELLIGENCE
Practical intelligence is the capability that individuals use to find the best fit between themselves and the demands of the environment. Practical intelligence in not the same as the academic intelligence. I think we would all acknowledge, as academic intelligence. For an example , being able to engage about the differences between constructivism and functionalism in intelligent and sophisticated which only a certain people are been able to manage it.
Next, it’s is means a lot than being able to read in meetings from the right prompt cards. It might have been good enough for an obviously much beloved US President of recent decades to know and focus on one big thing rather than many things which requires an ability to absorb, keep, and mentally organized a huge of information across a very broad front.
Practical intelligence also means an ability to see the patterns and shapes in the data flows, and able to see opportunities as they come up. The Secretary-General doesn’t necessarily have to generate the goods ideas, but it is critical that she or he are able to notice them. And one has to know enough about people and their foibles to have a chance of making the right choices.
5.2 HONESTY AND INTERGRITY
Honesty and integrity go hand in hand .This is because you cannot be honest if have no integrity, and a person that is dishonest has no integrity. Everyone thinks they are honest in the broad sense of the word, however taking even a pen or an eraser from the office without official permission is really stealing. Even though if you think your employer can afford to buy it and will not miss it, it is the employer that has paid for it and not you, so it is their belongings and not yours. Likewise, making personal cellphones and having personal phone or mobile phone calls or text messaging on your employer’s buildings during the hours that you are paid to work, is theft of the employer’s time.
5.3 INFORMATION
It is no use being able to process an information if you don’t have the information. An effective Secretary-General has to escape from time to time from the convenient insulation of the UN and reach out for the kind information that he or she really needs. The Secretary-General who shall remain nameless told that one of the things he liked about International Crisis Group reports is that he knew he was listening to them , among other things , the real voices of his own people on the ground , giving the plain reality about troubled situations , and the performance of the UN and others in responding to them — not the very often cut , destroy and filleted version of that reality that makes its way up the system after everything that might cause wrongdoing to host governments , member states , and officials higher up the organizational food chain have been edited out . In the Desiderata it says, “Keep interested in your own career, however stay humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. And this is never more important now than ever before, as the times they are changing and ferociously rapidly too in this day and age. So , continue to accumulate intelligence and obtain new skills , especially in technology , as this can improve the quality of your work , and believe you me , exercising your brain will also help you stay healthy , and prepare you for any “greener pastures ” in your future such as an encouragement , advancing your career or even a change in career path .
5.4 THINKING TIME
Having information and the practical intelligence to progress it are not much help if a Secretary-General never has time to perfectly think the issues through. This is an occupational problem for everyone in high office, but it is extremely accurate for someone who has 191 heads of state and foreign ministers, just for a start, who feel they have the right to waste his or her time whenever they feel like it. No doubt a good deal of time could also save in not listening to set piece speeches for hours , in the Security Council and elsewhere , that could much more quickly be read if they are worth absorbing at all .
5.5 FRIENDS
Teresa Whitfield’s chapter systematically describes the role of groups of “friends” in cutting through some of the institutional constraints that stand in the new of effective conflict prevention and management, and post-conflict peace building.
The point about friends has a more immediate and individual application. Harry S. Truman, US President at the time of the establishment of the UN, famously said that “If you want to friend in Washington, get a dog”. The Secretary-General is in the politics business whether he likes it or dislikes. And in international politics , perhaps even more than the variety in domestic , friendship with the key political players is a pretty transient issue-by-issue business—at least if you’re doing your job correctly and calling every issue on its merits .
But anyone in high office does need people around, in his or her personal office and wider professional and personal environment, who can give not only efficient technical and expert support, but a significant degree of emotional support: the essential loneliness of these offices is not just a cliché. Non-oleaginous explanations of encouragement when you have performed well or done the right thing are essential to even the most apparently nerveless character: and even more so are the words of quiet consolation when, as trends to happen more often, you have screwed something up.
The trick is to have people around you in your immediate personal sphere, and your personal office in particular, who can play that supportive role without at the same time protect you from reality, blind loyalty can be terrible liability.
5.6 BEING PUNCTUAL
In my opinion, being punctual is also one of the most important qualities and discipline that in needed in the Secretary General. There are a few reasons why I said think that being punctual is important. First, it shows respect for the person in our life and also respect ourselves enough to keep your promise. We can also prove that we can be trustworthy. Besides, people will assume us as a reliable person. We are also appreciated for being on time in every meeting or any conference. Next, we are seen as a professional too and serious with our work. Furthermore, we can build a strong reputation for our character as a Secretary General and open doors and attract more opportunities to ourselves. Lastly, we can eliminate stress form our life by removing the anxiety of being late and do the right thing and feel good about it.
Conclusion
UN peace and security missions operate is the most dangerous and difficult environments in the world, dealing with conflicts which others cannot or will address. We can achieve what others can’t but success is never guaranteed. UN peacekeeping is a different global partnership. It brings together the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Secretariat, contingent and police contributors and the host governments in a combined effort to maintain international peace and security. Its durability lies in the legitimacy of the UN Charter and in the wide range of contribution countries that participate and provide precious resources. The Secretary General is usually the leader of operations for an organization such as a union, association, and others. His duties are very different from the average picture of a secretary as he is responsible for conducting or attending higher-profile meetings on behalf of the organization and making decisions regarding the whole organization. This position usually requires significant travel and many general secretaries take advice and duties from every condition of the organization .The General Secretary will commonly meet with leaders of other organizations to arrange partnerships of other beneficial contracts with them such as to discuss how to improve the world’s peace . The Secretary General also responsible for overseeing and improving financial relations of his association as well as controlling the association’s positive public image . The Secretary General is generally voted into his position by a committee or frequently by a union-wide vote and is thus given authority to be the population’s voice , It is on the secretaries to help decide what is the best for their entire organization and its people , as well as present their beliefs , values , and common standing to others . Beneficial events and partnerships can not only make more improvement but may also improve the well-being and view of the organization as a whole. There are a few important characteristics that need to focus on in order to select the right Secretary General .To maintain as many contacts as a Secretary General commonly have as well as make new ones , there are usually many meetings . These can be lunch meetings, phone conferences or destination, conferences forcing him to travel. He must discuss concerns brought to him by a council, find resolutions and make the right decisions based on the information that has given so that the organizations involved can struggle together. At times, he may even need to organize rallies on behalf of his union or group. Other times, he may simply needs to update the council and people of urgent news or pertinent developments. Lastly, an ability to hold stress and travel are also usually important for a successful Secretary General.