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The Secretary-General of the United Nations is a unique figure in world politics. At once civil servant, the world's diplomat, lackey of the UN Security Council, and commander-in-chief of up to a hundred thousand peacekeepers, he or she depends on states for both the legitimacy and resources that enable the United Nations to function. The tension between these roles - of being secretary or general - has challenged every incumbent. This book brings together the insights of senior UN staff, diplomats and scholars to examine the normative and political factors that shape this unique office with particular emphasis on how it has evolved in response to changing circumstances such as globalization and the onset of the 'war on terror'. The difficulties experienced by each Secretary-General reflect the profound ambivalence of states towards entrusting their security, interests or resources to an intergovernmental body.
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This page intentionally left blank SECRETARY OR GENERAL? The Secretary-General of the United Nations is a unique figure in world politics. At once civil servant, the world’s diplomat, lackey of the UN Security Council, and commander-in-chief of up to a hundred thousand peacekeepers, he or she depends on states for both the legitimacy and resources that enable the United Nations to function. The tension between these roles – of being secretary or general – has challenged every incumbent. This book brings together the insights of senior UN staff, diplomats, and scholars to examine the normative and political factors that shape this unique office, with particular emphasis on how it has evolved in response to changing circumstances such as globalization and the onset of the “war on terror”. The difficulties experienced by each Secretary-General reflect the profound ambivalence of states towards entrusting their security, interests, or resources to an intergovernmental body. is Global Professor and Director of the New York University School of Law Singapore Programme, and an Associate Professor of Law at the National University of Singapore. He has previously worked as a Senior Associate at the International Peace Academy and as Director of UN Relations at the International Crisis Group in New York. His books include Shared Secrets: Intelligence and Collective Security (2006), You, The People: The United Nations, Transitional Administration, and State-Building (2004), and Just War or Just Peace? Humanitarian Intervention and International Law (2001). A project of the Institute for International Law and Justice at New York University School of Law SECRETARY OR GENERAL? The UN Secretary-General in World Politics Edited by SIMON CHESTERMAN CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo Cambridge University Press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 8RU, UK Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521876155 © Cambridge University Press 2007 This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provision of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published in print format 2007 ISBN-13 ISBN-10 978-0-511-27425-1 eBook (EBL) 0-511-27425-4 eBook (EBL) ISBN-13 ISBN-10 978-0-521-87615-5 hardback 0-521-87615-X hardback ISBN-13 ISBN-10 978-0-521-69958-7 paperback 0-521-69958-4 paperback Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of urls for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this publication, and does not guarantee that any content on