The deputy secretary-general of the United Nations is the deputy to the secretary-general of the United Nations. The office was created to handle many of the administrative responsibilities of the secretary-general, help manage Secretariat operations, and ensure coherence of activities and programs. The post was formally established by the General Assembly at the end of 1997.
| Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations | |
|---|---|
 | |
| United Nations United Nations Secretariat | |
| Style | Her Excellency |
| Reports to | The Secretary-General |
| Seat | UN Headquarters New York City (international territory) |
| Appointer | The Secretary-General The Secretary-General appoints the Deputy Secretary-General following consultations with Member States and in accordance with Article 101 of the Charter of the United Nations. |
| Term length | See below The term of office of the Deputy Secretary-General must not exceed that of the Secretary-General. |
| Constituting instrument | General Assembly Resolution 52/12 B |
| Precursor | Deputy Secretary-General of the League of Nations |
| Inaugural holder | Louise Fréchette |
| Formation | 1997 |
| Website | Deputy Secretary-General |
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Amina J. Mohammed of Nigeria was named as deputy secretary-general by then secretary-general-designate António Guterres. Mohammed assumed the office the same day as Guterres began his term, on 1 January 2017.
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
| No. | Portrait | Deputy Secretary-General | Country | Term | Secretary-General |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louise Fréchette | Canada | 2 March 1998 – 1 April 2006 | Kofi Annan | |
| 2 | Mark Malloch Brown | United Kingdom | 1 April 2006 – 31 December 2006 | ||
| 3 | Asha-Rose Migiro | Tanzania | 5 February 2007 – 1 July 2012 | Ban Ki-moon | |
| 4 | Jan Eliasson | Sweden | 1 July 2012 – 31 December 2016 | ||
| 5 | Amina J. Mohammed | Nigeria | 1 January 2017 – present | António Guterres |
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| UN Regional Group | Deputy Secretaries-General |
|---|---|
| Western European and Others | 3 |
| Eastern European Group | 0 |
| Latin American and Caribbean Group | 0 |
| Asia-Pacific Group | 0 |
| African Group | 2 |