The Secretary-General of the United Nations is the head of the UN Secretariat and serves as the organisation’s chief administrative officer. Under Article 97 of the UN Charter, the Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council. The normal term is five years, and a Secretary-General may be reappointed.
Since the establishment of the United Nations in 1945, nine people have served as Secretary-General. António Guterres has been the ninth Secretary-General since 1 January 2017.
Chronological List
No. Secretary-General Period
1 Trygve Lie 1946–1952
2 Dag Hammarskjöld 1953–1961
3 U Thant 1961–1971
4 Kurt Waldheim 1972–1981
5 Javier Pérez de Cuéllar 1982–1991
6 Boutros Boutros-Ghali 1992–1996
7 Kofi Annan 1997–2006
8 Ban Ki-moon 2007–2016
9 António Guterres 2017–Present
1. Trygve Lie — 1946–1952
Trygve Lie became the first Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Term: 1 February 1946 – 10 April 1953
He resigned from office in 1952, although the official period of his tenure extended into April 1953.
He served during the early formative years of the UN.
His tenure coincided with the beginning of the Cold War.
Important international developments during his period included the Korean War and the development of the early UN system.
Exam Facts
First UN Secretary-General: Trygve Lie
First Secretary-General: 1946
Resigned: 1952
The UN's archival records give his precise service period as 1 February 1946–10 April 1953.
2. Dag Hammarskjöld — 1953–1961
Dag Hammarskjöld became the second Secretary-General in 1953.
Term began: 11 April 1953
Died in office: 17 September 1961
His tenure was strongly associated with the development of modern UN peacekeeping.
He worked to strengthen the independence and international role of the Secretary-General.
He died in an aircraft crash in Africa while travelling on a peace mission.
Important Exam Fact
Dag Hammarskjöld was the only UN Secretary-General to die while serving in office.
His death occurred during an attempt to help resolve the Congo Crisis.
3. U Thant — 1961–1971
U Thant became the third Secretary-General.
Acting Secretary-General: November 1961
Formally appointed Secretary-General: November 1962
Served until: December 1971
He succeeded Dag Hammarskjöld.
His tenure covered major Cold War crises.
One of the most important events associated with his tenure was the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.
He also dealt with conflicts and decolonisation issues during a period when many newly independent states were joining the UN.
Exam Facts
Third Secretary-General: U Thant
Acting Secretary-General from: November 1961
Formal appointment: November 1962
Term ended: December 1971
The UN specifically distinguishes his initial appointment as acting Secretary-General from his formal appointment in 1962.
4. Kurt Waldheim — 1972–1981
Kurt Waldheim became the fourth Secretary-General in 1972.
Term: 1972–1981
He served two five-year terms.
His tenure included major international issues associated with the Cold War and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere.
The UN continued to expand its diplomatic and peacekeeping activities during this period.
Exam Facts
Fourth Secretary-General: Kurt Waldheim
Term: 1972–1981
Served two terms.
The UN Archives records his tenure as 1 January 1972–31 December 1981.
5. Javier Pérez de Cuéllar — 1982–1991
Javier Pérez de Cuéllar became the fifth Secretary-General in 1982.
Term: 1982–1991
Served two terms.
His tenure covered the final decade of the Cold War.
The UN played important diplomatic roles in several international conflicts during this period.
His period also included important developments in international diplomacy and peace negotiations.
Exam Facts
Fifth Secretary-General: Javier Pérez de Cuéllar
Term: 1982–1991
Served two terms.
His tenure ended shortly before the major post-Cold War transformation of international politics.
6. Boutros Boutros-Ghali — 1992–1996
Boutros Boutros-Ghali became the sixth Secretary-General in 1992.
Term: 1992–1996
He served during the period immediately following the end of the Cold War.
The UN became increasingly involved in peacekeeping and post-conflict reconstruction.
His period included major conflicts and humanitarian crises in different parts of the world.
A major document associated with his tenure was “An Agenda for Peace” (1992), which discussed ways to strengthen preventive diplomacy, peacemaking and peacekeeping.
Important Exam Fact
Boutros Boutros-Ghali was the first African Secretary-General.
His term lasted only one five-year period.
7. Kofi Annan — 1997–2006
Kofi Annan became the seventh Secretary-General in 1997.
Term: 1997–2006
He served two terms.
He was the first Secretary-General to rise from within the UN system after a long career in the organisation.
His tenure placed strong emphasis on UN reform, development, human rights and international cooperation.
Nobel Peace Prize
In 2001, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded jointly to Kofi Annan and the United Nations for their work for a better organised and more peaceful world.
Important Exam Facts
Seventh Secretary-General: Kofi Annan
Term: 1997–2006
Nobel Peace Prize: 2001
First Secretary-General from sub-Saharan Africa
His official UN tenure was from January 1997 to December 2006.
8. Ban Ki-moon — 2007–2016
Ban Ki-moon became the eighth Secretary-General on 1 January 2007.
Term: 2007–2016
Served two terms
Before becoming Secretary-General, he was the Foreign Minister of South Korea.
His tenure placed significant emphasis on:
Climate change
Sustainable development
Peace and security
Humanitarian issues
Gender equality
Important Development
During his tenure, the international community adopted the:
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development established 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Exam Facts
Eighth Secretary-General: Ban Ki-moon
Term: 2007–2016
SDGs adopted: 2015
Number of SDGs: 17
The UN Archives confirms that Ban Ki-moon served from January 2007 to December 2016.
9. António Guterres — 2017–Present
António Guterres became the ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations on 1 January 2017.
First term: 2017–2021
Second term: 2022–2026
He was previously the Prime Minister of Portugal.
His UN agenda has included:
Climate change
Sustainable development
International peace and security
Humanitarian crises
Refugees and migration
Multilateral cooperation
The UN identifies António Guterres as the current Secretary-General and states that he took office on 1 January 2017.
Important Exam Fact
António Guterres is the ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Complete Chronology for Quick Revision
1946–1952
Trygve Lie
↓
1953–1961
Dag Hammarskjöld
↓
1961–1971
U Thant
↓
1972–1981
Kurt Waldheim
↓
1982–1991
Javier Pérez de Cuéllar
↓
1992–1996
Boutros Boutros-Ghali
↓
1997–2006
Kofi Annan
↓
2007–2016
Ban Ki-moon
↓
2017–Present
António Guterres
Important Facts for ADRE/APSC/SSC/UGC NET
1. First UN Secretary-General → Trygve Lie
2. Second Secretary-General → Dag Hammarskjöld
3. Third Secretary-General → U Thant
4. Fourth Secretary-General → Kurt Waldheim
5. Fifth Secretary-General → Javier Pérez de Cuéllar
6. Sixth Secretary-General → Boutros Boutros-Ghali
7. Seventh Secretary-General → Kofi Annan
8. Eighth Secretary-General → Ban Ki-moon
9. Ninth Secretary-General → António Guterres
10. Secretary-General who died in office → Dag Hammarskjöld
11. Secretary-General associated with “An Agenda for Peace” → Boutros Boutros-Ghali
12. Secretary-General who shared the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize with the UN → Kofi Annan
13. Secretary-General during adoption of SDGs in 2015 → Ban Ki-moon
14. Secretary-General since 2017 → António Guterres
15. Number of UN Secretaries-General since 1945 → 9
16. UN Secretary-General is appointed by → General Assembly
17. Appointment is made on recommendation of → Security Council
18. Relevant UN Charter provision → Article 97
19. Normal term → 5 years
20. UN Secretariat is headed by → Secretary-General
The UN describes the Secretary-General as both the head of the Secretariat and a diplomat, advocate, civil servant and administrator; the position has developed beyond the limited wording of the Charter through established practice.
Sources
United Nations — Secretary-General
UN Archives and Records Management Section
UN Charter, Article 97
United Nations Essential Guidebook
United Nations official biographies
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