The UN’s Senior Management Group

The UN’s Senior Management Group (SMG) is a forum chaired by the Secretary-General that brings together leaders of United Nations departments, offices, funds and programmes. As such it represents the top level political leadership of the Organisation, consisting as it does of senior public facing roles that are appointed with significant input from UN member states. We feel that as a result there is an added necessity for transparency and adherence to selection best practices when appointing to these roles.

The SMG is separate from, but has considerable overlap with, the UN’s Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG) which comprises the leaders of the 36 United Nations departments, offices, funds and programmes whose work is relevant to the delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The UNSDG also contains the leaders of organisations that are within the UN family but who have their own management structure that is largely independent of the Secretary-General, such as the ILO and the IOM. These organisations are not on the SMG. These organisations are also on the UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB). Click here for our webpage about the CEB. The UN’s Sustainable Development Group is chaired by the UN Deputy Secretary-General, presently Amina Mohammed.

One of the issues with bringing greater transparency to recruitment to the SMG is that different United Nations departments, offices, funds and programmes recruit in different ways due to their different origins. Below we summarise the different mechanisms and, as a consequence, the timelines for recruitment – where known, of members. We hope to improve the availability of this information by compiling it here, initially for Under-Secretary-General (USG) level and above appointments to the SMG, and ultimately for all of the SDG and perhaps all USG-level appointments.

We believe all appointments at this level should follow the recommendations of the 2011 Joint Inspections Unit report for transparency in the selection and appointment of senior managers at the United Nations (which includes a recommendation that the UN to create an official website much like this one). These were summarised, with commentary, in UNA-UK’s Transparency Checklist. Further, General Assembly Resolution 46/232 states that no senior official should be succeeded by an official of the same nationality. This resolution is frequently violated.

We hope to expand this exercise, as resources allow, to cover all senior leadership appointments at the UN in time. But in the interests of making the best use of available resources we are working in phases. For this first phase we will just concentrate on members of the SMG who have a global role and who are at the USG level or above. This means certain members of the SMG will be exempted from this first phase. This includes: Mami Mizutori, Assistant Secretary-General and Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction; Sanda Ojiambo, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations Global Compact; Elizabeth Spehar, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support; and the Executive Secretaries for the Regional Commissions.

EDITORIAL NOTE: The information on this page includes inferences and at times draws on unverifiable intel. The compilation is a result of a rigorous process but the accuracy of information on this website cannot be guaranteed (indeed, the only way this information could be guaranteed is if the UN officially published it, in which case this website would no longer be required!). Please get in touch with us on hello@bluesmoke.blog if you spot any inaccuracies or have information that could be used to improve the content.

Appointed by the Secretary-General

Articles 100 and 101 of the UN Charter establish an independent international civil service, appointed by the Secretary-General and receiving instruction from no nation. General Assembly Resolution 51/226 gives the Secretary-General “discretionary power …. of appointment and promotion outside the established procedures [for posts within] his Executive Office and the under-secretary-general and Assistant Secretary-General levels, as well as special envoys at all levels”. In the UN Appeals Tribunal case Bertucci v Secretary-General the Secretary-General’s legal team described this discretionary power as “vast” and allowing the Secretary-General to exempt themselves from following administrative processes established for the recruitment and selection of other roles in the UN – notably administrative instruction ST/AI/2010/3/Rev.2 which describes the process that should be followed in other staff selections. General Assembly Resolution 63/250 further outlined the contractual framework for appointments, including that contracts be temporary (less than one year), fixed-term (for a defined period of more than one year and less than five – renewable) or continuing (ongoing upon completion of a fixed term appointment of at least two years).

Deputy Secretary-General

The Deputy Secretary-General’s role is established by the UN General Assembly under resolution 52/12B in which they accepted the recommendations in an annex to the Secretary-General’s report 51/950/Add.1. This allows the Secretary-General to appoint their own deputy, after consultation with member states, to a term of office not to exceed their own. Unlike when appointing other individuals the Secretary-General has made a habit of issuing a press release to make it public when the Deputy Secretary-General is reappointed for a second term.

On this basis Amina J. Mohammed was announced by the Secretary-General as his deputy on 15 Dec 2016 (to assume the role and start her term on the same day as his: 1 Jan 2017) and reappointed on 10 Jan 2022. Assuming she serves the full duration her term will therefore expire when the Secretary-General’s does on 31 December 2026 at which point a new Secretary-General will appoint a new incumbent. 

Chef de Cabinet

The Chef de Cabinet is the Secretary-General’s chief of staff in the Executive Office of the Secretary General (EOSG). This is an Under-Secretary-General ranked post, but we have given it its own section in light of its specific history. The post has existed since the founding of the United Nations but only took its current name and rank of Under-Secretary-General in 1962 (from 1946-1961 the post was the Executive Assistant to the Secretary-General, the post briefly reverted to that title and lost its USG ranking between 1973 and 1974). By precedent since 1962 the Secretary-General has been able to appoint someone of their choosing following consultations with member states. Chefs de Cabinet tend to be appointed for the same terms as Secretaries-General although many have left early either to allow the Secretary-General to refresh their team or having been moved into other roles. Some have briefly stayed on to help a new Secretary-General establish themselves, although this hasn’t happened since 1993.

On this basis Courtenay Rattray was announced as the next Chef de Cabinet on 17 December 2021 and assuming he serves a full term will presumably serve until the Secretary-General leaves office on 31 December 2026 at which point it is most probable that a new Secretary-General will appoint a new incumbent. 

Under-Secretaries-General

Many senior leadership positions at the United Nations are appointed by the Secretary-General, generally after consultation with member states, at the rank of Under-Secretary-General. Common practice is to issue a press release when such a person is appointed but for that press release to not mention their term of office or contract length, and for no press release to be issued if their appointment is renewed. Staff Regulation 4.5 stipulates that appointment of Under-Secretaries-General and of Assistant Secretaries-General to the UN Secretariat and UN funds and programmes shall normally be for a period of five years, subject to prolongation or renewal, and the 2011 JIU report on transparency in senior appointments recommended that this practice be followed consistently and that no Under-Secretary-General be renewed more than once. But there is no requirement for this practice to be followed. Often the only way to know when a post is due to expire is to look at the incumbent’s security badge and see when it expires, although sometimes one can hazard a guess through rumour, or by observing the pattern of recent appointment durations.

On that basis: 

Cristina Duarte was announced as the next Special Adviser on Africa and Under-Secretary-General for the Office of the Special Advisor of Africa (OSAA) on 2 July 2020. The post was created as a Special Advisor role in 1999 and given an office and an Under-Secretary-Generalship in May 2003 by Secretary-General Bulletin ST/SGB/2003/6, in line with General Assembly Resolution 57/7. Neither of these documents designate a term length for the role but since becoming an Under-Secretary-General position Special Advisors have tended to serve five years unless interrupted, and so and in the absence of further information a working assumption would be that she will hold that post until shortly after 2 July 2025 at which point she could be reappointed or another postholder appointed.

Melissa Fleming was announced as the next Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications (DGC) on 1 August 2019. She assumed the role on 1 September 2019. Global Communications replaced the previous Department of Public Information, and recent appointments to that post appeared to be on five-year renewable terms and so a working assumption would be that she will hold that post until 1 September 2024 at which point she could be reappointed or another postholder appointed.

Vladimir Voronkov was appointed to the then new role of Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) on 21 June 2017. The post was established under General Assembly resolution 71/291 adopting the recommendations of the Secretary-General’s report A/71/858. Neither specified any term length. Rumours started to circulate in 2022 that the initial appointment was for a five-year term but that while he was reappointed on 21 June 2022 for an additional term it was shortened to one year. If this is true the post will therefore fall vacant, unless the incumbent is reappointed, on 21 June 2023. We have sought clarification from EOSG who have not yet responded. While it is a new post it appears that this post will be informally ringfenced for Russia, meaning only Russian candidates will be considered for the role.

Izumi Nakamitsu was announced as the next High Representative and Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) on 29 March 2017. She assumed the role on 1 May 2017. Previous High Representatives have tended to serve five-year terms, and have also tended to hand over early into the term of a new Secretary-General. A reasonable working assumption would be that she has a five-year contract, that it was renewed in May 2022, and that she will hold it until 1 May 2027 at which point another postholder will be appointed.

Ghada Fathi Waly was announced as the next Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Director-General of the United Nations Office in Vienna (UNOV) on 21 November 2019. Both are Under-Secretary-General roles and while both are separate they are generally held by the same person. Her predecessor held the role for ten years, and so it appears that the appointment used to be a renewable five-year term. However, the arrangement may have changed: informal sources suggest that the incumbent was appointed for four years, making her role subject to renewal or reappointment in January 2024.

Li Junhua was announced as the next Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) on 25 July 2022. The past three incumbents in this role have all served exactly five years in post and it is therefore reasonable to assume that this is an established principle and that this post will fall vacant shortly after 25 July 2027. The incumbent and their last three predecessors have all been Chinese and so it seems the post is ringfenced for China.

Movses Abelian was announced as the next Under-Secretary-General for General Assembly and Conference Management (DGACM) on 10 June 2019. He assumed the role on 1 September 2019. There is no discernable pattern in recent appointments to this post and so in the absence of additional information a working assumption would be that he has the standard five-year contract and will hold that post until 1 September 2024 at which point he could be reappointed or another postholder appointed.

Tatiana Valovaya was announced as the next Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) on 30 May 2019. This is an Under-Secretary-General role. There’s no clear pattern to appointment lengths for the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva but recent practice has been for a Russian to hold one of the posts of Director-General in either Vienna or Geneva, and so these positions may be appointed at the same or similar times.

Martin Griffiths was announced as the next Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) and Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC) on 12 May 2021, following a process that UNA-UK scrutinised. The post was established under General Assembly Resolution 46/182 which did not establish a term length. Early Emergency Relief Coordinators did appear to serve terms of a regular two-year length, but this precedent was abandoned in the mid 00s. The last Emergency Relief Coordinator stood down four years into their term, which was likely scheduled for a longer duration. Their predecessor had their term interrupted by the change in Secretary-General, but their predecessor before that served what appeared to be a pre-agreed five-year term. Thus, there is some indication that Griffiths may be on a five-year contract, and will therefore hold that post until shortly after 12 May 2026 at which point he could be reappointed or another postholder appointed. The incumbent and their last four predecessors have all been British and so it appears that this post is ringfenced for the UK.

Rabab Fatima was announced as the next High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS) on 9 June 2022. The post was established as an Under-Secretary-General role in General Assembly resolution 56/227. Recent post holders appear to have largely served five-year terms, unless interrupted, and so in the absence of further information a working assumption would be that she will hold that post until June 2027 at which point she could be reappointed or another postholder appointed.

Miguel de Serpa Soares was announced as the next Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs (OLA) and UN Legal Counsel on 7 August 2013. He is the longest serving postholder on the senior management group, and as previous postholders have typically served either five or ten year terms and so his post might fall vacant after 7 August 2023 but this is far from certain.

Catherine Pollard was announced as the next Under-Secretary-General for Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance (DMSPC) on 10 June 2019. She assumed the role on 1 September 2019. This is a new post created as a result of managerial restructuring and in the absence of further information a working assumption would be that she has a standard five-year contract and will hold that post until 1 September 2024 at which point she could be reappointed or another postholder appointed.

Zainab Bangura was announced as the next Director-General of the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON), an Under-Secretary-General role, on 30 December 2019. Appointments to this role do not form any obvious pattern and so no clear or straightforward assumption that can be made as to when her term might expire.

Atul Khare has been Under-Secretary-General for Operational Support (DOS) since the post’s creation in 2018 and previously held its predecessor post of Under-Secretary-General for Field Support having been announced as the next appointee on 7 January 2015. It can be inferred from media reports that he was initially appointed for two years, reappointed for a second term in February 2017 until 1 April 2018, and reappointed on a more permanent basis when his office was reorganised in 2018. Given this there is no clear or straightforward assumption that can be made as to when his term might expire: it could be imminent, or it could be that his contract has been renewed recently and he will stay in post for the foreseeable future. After eight years in the role he is the second-longest-serving member of the SMG and one of only two survivors from Ban Ki-moon’s term as Secretary-General.

Jean-Pierre Lacroix was announced as the next Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations on 14 February 2017 for an initial term of one year beginning 1 April 2017. With the restructuring of the peace and security architecture in 2019, the post has since been renamed the Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations (DPO). This term was presumably renewed in 2018. Previous Under-Secretaries-General for Peacekeeping Operations have served term lengths of different durations, with the only common theme being that new Secretaries-General tend to appoint new Under-Secretaries-General for Peacekeeping early in their term. If Lacroix was given a standard five-year term when he was renewed, it is possible he will hold the post until 1 April 2023 – but in response to a media query we were told he has at least another year to serve on his contract, implying it was quietly renewed at some prior point. The incumbent and their last four predecessors have all been French and so it appears that this post is ringfenced for France.

Guy Ryder was announced as the next Under-Secretary-General for Policy on 7 October 2022. This role is contained within EOSG. There is no discernable pattern in recent appointments to this post and so in the absence of additional information a working assumption would be that he has the standard five-year contract and will hold the post until shortly after 7 October 2027 at which point he could be reappointed or another postholder appointed.

Rosemary A. DiCarlo was announced as the next Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs on 28 March 2018. She assumed the role on 1 May 2018. With the restructuring of the peace and security architecture in 2019 and the incorporation of PBSO into the former Department of Political Affairs, the position is now the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA). It is unclear what length of contract she is on, if it was renewed, and when it will expire, but one credible if unconfirmed suggestion is that her current contract will expire in May 2024.

Gilles Michaud was announced as the next Under-Secretary-General for Safety and Security (DSS) on 30 May 2019. The post was established under General Assembly Resolution 59/276. This resolution specified that “on an exceptional basis and without setting any precedent [they] shall serve for one non-renewable term not exceeding five years”. Therefore the post should fall vacant shortly after 30 May 2024.

Special advisers

Special advisers are experts reporting directly to the Secretary-General. They are sometimes honorary advisory positions and sometimes more akin to traditional jobs, and will often be paid a nominal salary of $1 a year. They all hold the rank of Under-Secretary-General even when they are not (as some are) Under-Secretaries-General in their own right. Because they serve as advisors to the Secretary-General directly the Secretary-General has broad discretion to appoint who they wish. There is thus little information on the process followed or term lengths for Special Advisers.

On that basis:

Alice Nderitu was announced as the next Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide on 10 November 2020. The Special advisor co-runs the Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect alongside the Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect who is not a member of the SMG. The mandate of the Special Adviser is mainly outlined in a 2004 letter addressed by the Secretary-General to the President of the Security Council (S/2004/567) but also draws from Security Council resolution 1366 and the Secretary-General’s 2004 Action Plan to Prevent Genocide. None of these documents outline a term limit for the special advisor and there has been no pattern in appointments so far. In contrast the Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect appears to be generally appointed for two years, rarely renewed. It was rumoured that there had been some discussions at various points about merging the two posts, but as both posts currently have new incumbents that is unlikely in the foreseeable future. It is not at all clear when either post may next fall vacant.

Special Representatives of the Secretary-General

Similar to special advisers, and likewise at the rank of Under-Secretary-General, Special Representatives of the Secretary-General  (SRSG) are individuals empowered by the Secretary-General to take meetings on their behalf with respect to specific issues or in specific circumstances. UN Peace Operations and Special Political Missions will be headed by an SRSG, although these posts are not part of the SMG. SRSGs also take on thematic issues however, and some of these posts do have places on the SMG. Mandates for Special Representatives are generally granted by the UN General Assembly or Security Council; and as a result the mandates can give greater clarity with respect to how they are appointed than in the case of Special Advisers.

On that basis:

Virginia Gamba had been appointed Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict as of 12 April 2017. The mandate for the post was General Assembly Resolution 51/77 which established it for an initial period of three years. Since then the mandate has been renewed through the General Assembly; most recently in Resolution 76/147 which renewed it for four years meaning the mandate will expire on 16 December 2025. The mandate is distinct from the mandate holder’s term of appointment, but the latter cannot exceed the former, and so if and when their mandate is renewed, if not before, they will either be reappointed or a new person appointed.

Najat Maalla was announced as the next Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children on 30 May 2019. She took up the role on 1 July 2019. The mandate was established in General Assembly Resolution 62/141 for an initial period of three years and was most recently renewed in Resolution 76/147 which extended the mandate to four years for the first time, thus aligning it with that of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict. This means the mandate will now expire on 16 December 2025. The mandate is distinct from the mandate holder’s term of appointment, but the latter cannot exceed the former, and so if and when their mandate is renewed, if not before, they will either be reappointed or a new person appointed.

Pramila Patten was appointed Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict on 12 April 2017. The post is mandated under Security Council resolution 1888 which sets no term lengths for the postholder besides a commitment to review the mandate “as appropriate”. The pattern established thus far is for a new Secretary-General to appoint a new Special Representative early in their term and so we should expect a new appointment in early 2027.

Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) itself established its own Secretariat and at its first Conference of Parties established the role of Executive Secretary to be appointed by the Secretary-General after consultation with the COP Bureau for a renewable three-year term. 

Simon Stiell’s appointment was announced on 15 August 2022; his mandate will be renewed, or a new candidate appointed, around 15 August 2025.

Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) was established as the UN Trust Fund for Population Activities via an aide memoire of the Secretary-General after the adoption of GA resolution 2211. The Executive Director is appointed by the Secretary-General in consultation with the UNFPA board. There has been an established practice in recent years of greater than usual transparency with respect to this appointment when compared to other Executive Director roles appointed by the Secretary-General. Press releases indicating the appointment have specified a fixed renewable term of four years, and a public statement is made when they are reappointed for an additional term.

Natalia Kanem was announced as the next Executive Director of UNFPA on 3 October 2017. Her reappointment for a second four-year term was announced on 1 October 2021. The post will next be contested in the run-up to October 2025.

Executive Director of UNICEF

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) was established in General Assembly Resolution 57 which mandated only that the Secretary-General appoint them in consultation with the executive board. This gives them wide discretion in the length of time they are appointed. All eight permanent Executive Directors going all the way back to 1947 have been Americans, and the role is clearly firmly ringfenced for US nationals. This has led to the establishment of something of a pattern in recent years of appointing new Executive Directors of UNICEF shortly after a new President of the USA is elected to ensure the appointee is someone with a good relationship with the US administration.

Catherine M. Russell was announced as the next Executive Director of UNICEF on 10 December 2021. It is unclear how long she will serve but it may be that her appointment is reviewed in late 2024/early 2025 depending on the results of the US presidential election.

Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Project Services

The UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) was a delivery arm of UNDP that became an independent and self-financing entity by General Assembly decision 48/501 of 19 Sept. 1994. As such the task of appointing its Executive Director remained with the Secretary-General, although subsequent resolutions clarified that this be in consultation with the UNOPS board.

Following the resignation of Grete Faremo Jens Wandel was appointed as Acting Executive Director effective 8 May 2022. On 23 March 2023 Jorge Moreira da Silva was appointed as permanent replacement. There is no sense of how long a contract he was given but barring incidents he will presumably have the post for at least until the end of the current Secretary-General’s term in December 2026.

Executive Director of UN Women

UN Women was created through General Assembly Resolution 64/289 which determined that the Executive Director be appointed by the Secretary-General in consultation with states and the Executive Board of UN Women for a term of four years, renewable once.

Sima Sami Bahous’s appointment was announced on 13 September 2021 and will be eligible for renewal or replacement on 13 September 2025.

Chosen by the UN General Assembly

A number of posts are elected or approved by the UN General Assembly, generally by the Secretary General making a nomination which is then voted on by the General Assembly. The vote is usually by acclamation, actual ballots are rare, but the voting process enters information about the candidate’s recruitment into the public record, making it easier to establish details of the process that was followed. Where the nominated candidate is not accepted by acclamation an election is held by secret ballot where they need to obtain a simple majority of members present.

Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is an intergovernmental body established by the UN General Assembly in its resolution 1995. This established only that its Secretary-General is chosen by the General Assembly after being nominated by the Secretary-General of the UN, but subsequent practice developed the idea that the Secretary-General would serve a renewable four-year term, be nominated following consultation with the chairpersons of the regional groups, and that should the post fall vacant an Officer-in-Charge would be appointed in the interim.

Rebeca Grynspan was nominated and on 11 June 2021 a note by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres proposing her was adopted by the UN General Assembly without a vote. She was appointed for a four-year term as of her effective starting date which would be communicated at a later date. This date turned out to be 13 September 2021 meaning her mandate will expire on 13 September 2025. She will be eligible for reappointment subject to approval by the General Assembly.

Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme

The UN Development Programme (UNDP) was established by the UN General Assembly in resolution 2029 but its governing mechanisms have evolved over the years. Recent practice has been for the Secretary-General to nominate a candidate following consultation with the Executive Board of UNDP for a renewable four year term and for the General Assembly to vote on that nomination.

Achim Steiner was confirmed as Administrator of UNDP on 19 April 2017. In April 2021, the General Assembly confirmed his appointment to a second four-year term beginning 17 June 2021. His post will therefore next be contested in advance of 17 June 2026.

Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP)’s Executive Director is nominated by the Secretary-General and subject to an approval vote by the General Assembly for a term of four years. This was established by General Assembly resolution 2997. There is no limit to the number of terms that can be served, and as recently as 2014 an Executive Director was given a third term, albeit a shortened one of two years.

Inger Andersen was elected by the General Assembly in February 2019 by acclamation. In 2023, the Secretary-General renominated her for a second term but in an unusual move this was opposed by Russia. As a result her second term was subject to a vote by secret ballot, which was won with 136 votes out of 167 states voting. She was confirmed on 18 January 2023 for a further four-year term starting 15 June 2023. Her term expires on 14 June 2027.

Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)

The post of Executive Director of UN-Habitat was established by General Assembly Resolution 32/162. In General Assembly Resolution 56/206 it was established that the Executive Director is nominated by the Secretary-General and subject to an approval vote by the General Assembly for a term of four years. There is no limit to the number of terms that can be served but no Executive Director since Resolution 56/206 has served more than two terms.

Maimunah Mohd Sharif was elected as Executive Director on 22 December 2017. On 20 January 2022 she was confirmed by the General Assembly for a further shortened term of only two years ending 19 January 2024.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

The High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Secretary-General for a renewable term of up to four years, however no High Commissioner has yet been given and served two full terms. UNA-UK has run extensive campaigns highlighting issues with the process followed. 

Volker Türk was announced as the next United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on 8 September 2022 with an official start date of 17 October 2022, his term will expire on 17 October 2026. He will be eligible for renomination but no High Commissioner has ever been appointed for a full second term.

Under-Secretary-General for Internal Oversight Services

The head of the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) is an Under-Secretary-General role but one that is subject to General Assembly approval, appointed for a single, non renewable, five-year term. This is to increase the independence of their oversight.

Fatoumata Ndiaye was appointed in October 2019 and so the General Assembly will consider a nomination of a new candidate before October 2024.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

The post of High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was established by the UN General Assembly in resolution 318. It determined that the High Commissioner would be elected by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Secretary-General for a term of three years, this was later changed to five.

Filippo Grandi was first elected on 18 November 2015 for a five-year term starting 1 January 2016. Prior to the expiry of his term he was confirmed for a second term but with the term length shortened to two and a half years. In September 2022 he was confirmed for a third term, also of two and a half years, to make up the length of what would have been a full second term. His third term began on 1 July 2023. The post will next be contested in advance of his term expiration on 31 December 2025.

Appointed by other means

Executive Director of the World Food Programme

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) was established in General Assembly Resolution 1714 as a joint programme of the UN and the UN FAO. For that reason, their Executive Director is jointly appointed by the Secretary-General of the UN and the Director General of UN FAO. In the time that has passed since its establishment, the position of Executive Director has become one held for a fixed five-year term, and until last year no one had served a second term since 2002. The last five Executive Directors going back to 1992 have been American; the role is clearly ringfenced for US nationals. The WFP follows the FAO’s staff regulations and guidelines, not the UN’s. 

David Beasley was announced as the next Executive Director of the WFP on 29 March 2017 for a fixed five-year term. In March 2022 it was reported in the press, but not publicly confirmed until 17 December 2022, that he had been reappointed for an additional second term of one year only. The post therefore falls vacant in April 2023, according to the WFP press release.