UN Secretary General List with term of office, check names of all UN secretary generals (heads) from 1945 to present. Under the United Nations Charter, the Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council. The UN Secretary-General is the head of the Secretariat, one of the principal divisions of the United Nations. Read this article to get answers of your questions like names of all time UN secretary generals, UN secretary general belongs to which country, what is UN secretary-general term, who was first un secretary-general etc and also check list of deputy secretaries-general.
Many of the individuals who have served as the world body’s top office have written memoirs, either before, during or after their terms of office (service). The secretary-general of the United Nations (UNSG or SG) is the chief administrative officer of the United Nations and head of the United Nations Secretariat, one of the six principal organs of the United Nations. The role of the secretary-general and of the secretariat is laid out by Chapter XV (Articles 97 to 101) of the United Nations Charter. However, the office’s qualifications, selection process and tenure are open to interpretation; they have been established by custom.
UN Secretary General List (All Time)
| Name of UN Secretary General | Term of Office | Belongs to Which Country |
|---|---|---|
| Trygve Lie | 2 February 1946 – November 1952 | Norway |
| Dag Hammarskjöld | 10 April 1953 – 18 September 1961 | Sweden |
| U Thant | 3 November 1961 – 31 December 1971 | Burma, now Myanmar |
| Kurt Waldheim | 1 January 1972 – 31 December 1981 | Austria |
| Javier Pèrez de Cuèllar | 1 January 1982 – 31 December 1991 | Peru |
| Boutros Boutros-Ghali | 1 January 1992 – 31 December 1996 | Egypt |
| Kofi Annan | 1 January 1997 – 31 December 2006 | Ghana |
| Ban Ki-moon | 1 January 2007 – 31 December 2016 | Korea |
| António Guterres | 1 January 2007 – Present | Portugal |
First UN Secretary-General
Sir Gladwyn Jebb, from the United Kingdom, served as Acting Secretary-General from 24 October 1945 till 1 February 1946. After World War II, he served as executive secretary of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations in August 1945, being appointed Acting United Nations secretary-general from October 1945 to February 1946 until the appointment of the first UN secretary-general, Trygve Lie.
UN Secretary-General Term
The current term of the Secretary-General is five years, with a possibility to be re-appointed for a second five year term. In accordance with Article 97 of the Charter, the appointment is made by the General Assembly, upon the recommendation of the Security Council. The official website of Union Nations is https://www.un.org/en/.
United Nations Deputy Secretary-General List
| Name of UN Deputy Secretary General (Country) | Term of Office | Worked under Secretary General |
|---|---|---|
| Louise Fréchette (Canada) | 2 March 1998 – 1 April 2006 | Kofi Annan |
| Mark Malloch Brown | 1 April 2006 – 31 December 2006 | Kofi Annan |
| Asha-Rose Migiro | 5 February 2007 – 1 July 2012 | Ban Ki-moon |
| Jan Eliasson | 1 July 2012 – 31 December 2016 | Ban Ki-moon |
| Amina J. Mohammed | 1 January 2017 – present | António Guterres |
Responsibilities of UN Deputy Secretary General
Responsibilities generally delegated by the secretary-general to the deputy secretary-general include:-
- To assist the Secretary-General in managing the operations of the Secretariat;
- 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;
- 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;
- To represent the Secretary-General at conferences, official functions and ceremonial and other occasions as may be decided by the Secretary-General;
- To undertake such assignments as may be determined by the Secretary-General;
Generally, both secretary general and deputy secretary general are considered as the heads of the United Nations.
