Chapter XV of theUnited Nations Charter deals with theUN Secretariat. It designates theUN secretary-general as thechief administrative officer of the organization, which includes the staff ofECOSOC, theTrusteeship Council, and other organs. Chapter XV is analogous to Article 6 of theCovenant of the League of Nations.
Similarly to how theConstitution of the United States requires theUS president to deliver aState of the Union address to theUS Congress, Article 98 of the UN Charter requires the secretary-general to "make an annual report to the General Assembly on the work of the Organization."
Article 99 empowers the secretary-general to "bring to the attention of the Security Council any matter which in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace andsecurity".[1] It is rarely invoked. Some of the times it has been invoked include:
Kofi Annan expressed reservations about using Article 99, because it can make the secretary-general take a political role instead of an administrative one.[2]
Article 100 stipulates the independence and impartiality of the secretary-general and other staff members, stating that they "shall not seek or receive instructions from any government or from any other [external] authority". Similarly, it requires the member states to "respect the exclusively international character of [the staff's] responsibilities" and to refrain from seeking to influence them.[5]
Article 101 states that the Secretary-General has the power to make employment decisions about Secretariat staff. It specifies criteria for employment at the UN, stating, "The paramount consideration in the employment of the staff and in the determination of the conditions of service shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Due regard shall be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible."
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