ABSTRACT
Both solemn legal provisions and sometimes spectacular international political jousting explain the presence and actions of the SecretaryGeneral among the representatives of states on the Security Council. Moreover, he personally or members of his staff are omnipresent in the intergovernmental organs and institutions of the UN system. This chapter treats the historical, legal and political foundations of the office, the choice of its occupants, and the organization of the Secretariat. These make up the institutional framework within which the SecretaryGeneral and the Secretariat take decisions and carry out mandates.
