The United Nations Secretariat during the Terms of Kurt Waldheim

Abstract

"The United Nations Secretary-General is one of the most important figures on the international scene, as he is the main administrator of the biggest organization whose purpose is to preserve international peace and security. Given the importance of the United Nations, the Secretary-General holds an important role in offering a direction of the organization, a direction which can differ from one Secretary to another. The Secretary’s view over the UN has an influence over the Secretariat as well, the body being shaped in accordance with the administrator’s view. During the Cold War, especially, this position was very challenging as the Secretary had to both follow his prerogatives as they were stated in the UN Charter and given by the UN bodies but to also juggle the interests of the two superpowers. In this context, he needed to have a smart approach to the international crises and make the UN relevant in the challenges of international order. The present paper’s purpose is to analyse the Secretariat of the UN and the role of the Secretary-General in handling the international crises of the Cold War, with a case study on the term of Kurt Waldheim, who was the head of the UN from 1972 to 1981. The focus will be placed on the way the UN body is working, how each Secretary until Waldheim had an influence over the shape of the Secretariat, what was the life of Kurt Waldheim, how he was named the head of the UN, and what were the main actions taken by him during his terms. Keywords: The United Nations, UN Secretary-General, UN Secretariat, Kurt Waldheim."