Secretary or General?: The UN Secretary-General in World Politics

by Simon Chesterman (Editor), Kofi Annan (Foreword)

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.

Paperback

First published March 1, 2007

About the author

Simon Chesterman is David Marshall Professor and Vice Provost (Educational Innovation) at the National University of Singapore, where he is also the founding Dean of NUS College. Educated in Melbourne, Beijing, and Oxford, he has lived and worked in Singapore since 2006. Simon is the author or editor of more than twenty books, including the young adult Raising Arcadia trilogy and the standalone I, Huckleberry. The novel Artifice is his first work of general fiction.

Reviews

[Koh Zhi-Xuan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful reference text for H2 History. But Chesterman should have provided a more direct answer to the question posed in the title in his conclusion instead of just using it as a springboard to compile a series of essays. Nevertheless a nicely written history of the UN organ - discussing it in relation to the Security Council, the UN charter, etc.