What is the role of the UN Secretary-General and how has this position evolved and affected the work of the United Nations?
A. Originally defined as the “chief administrative officer” in the UN Charter, the role of the Secretary-General has evolved according to the initiatives of its successive office-holders. // The UN Charter describes the SG as the “chief administrative officer” of the UN and bestows the SG with the authority to bring matters to the attention of the Security Council. Serving as the first Secretary-General from 1946-1952, Trygve Lie immediately challenged the purely administrative interpretation of the SG post, stressing his role both as a leader and mediator. Since then, Secretaries-General have utilized their “good offices” as a means of preventing the rise, escalation, and spread of international disputes and conflicts. The second Secretary-General, Dag Hammarskjold (1953-1961), expanded upon the precedents set by Lie. His strengths as a diplomat and mediator in international crises further defined the role of the Secretary-General as a chief international arbiter. Hammarskjold is also
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