Resources
Terminology of Senior Leadership Posts
|
Special Representative and Deputy Special Representatives of the Secretary-General (SRSG/DSRSG) |
|
Special Representatives of the Secretary-General are usually appointed at the Under-Secretary-General level by the Secretary-General. Deputy Special Representatives of the Secretary-General are appointed at the Assistant-Secretary-General level, or lower, to assist Special Representatives with their diplomatic, political and managerial responsibilities. |
|
|
|
|
|
Under-Secretary-General (USG) and Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) |
|
USG and ASG are acronyms used to describe a level of appointment. Senior leaders at these levels can perform a number of functions across the UN System, such as: Head or Deputy Head of a Department, a Special Representative, a Special Envoy or perform other high-level functions. |
|
|
|
|
|
Special Coordinator |
|
Normally appointed at USG-level, the Special Coordinator is a special or personal representative who coordinates the work of the United Nations and represents the Secretary-General on all political aspects of the United Nations’ work in a country. An example is the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process. |
|
|
|
|
|
Special Envoy |
|
Special Envoys of the Secretary-General are assigned at the USG or ASG level to undertake a special mission relating to matters of which the Security Council or the General Assembly are seized, for example the Special Envoy for Yemen or the Special Envoy on Sexual Violence in Conflict. |
|
|
|
|
|
Personal Envoy |
|
Personal Envoys of the Secretary-General are usually assigned at any level to undertake a mission in pursuance of an initiative of the Secretary-General, for example the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Western Sahara. |
| Deputy Special Representative/Resident Coordinator (RC)/Humanitarian Coordinator (HC) |
Candidates for these ‘multi-hatted’ positions are drawn from a dedicated Resident Coordinator pool. In countries where an integrated peacekeeping or political mission is deployed, one Deputy SRSG also serves as Resident Coordinator and, where applicable, Humanitarian Coordinator and is responsible for the coordination of the development and humanitarian assistance, including early and longer-term recovery. In countries where there is no Field Mission, the Resident Coordinator is the designated representative of the UN Secretary-General and leader of United Nations Country Team at country level. In humanitarian contexts, the RC may also serve as the Humanitarian Coordinator (HC). |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Click on each question to view the answer.
The Global Call campaign is managed by the Leadership Support Section, in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations. Should you have any questions, you may contact us at leadership@un.org.
- Candidates who meet the minimum requirements for Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG), Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General (DSRSG), and Special Envoy roles, including a minimum of 20 years of relevant professional experience.
- Externals and Internal UN staff members are eligible. Internal staff members must have served at the D1-level or above and must meet the other eligibility requirements.
No, you do not need to re-apply as your profile is in the leadership database. But an invitation encouraging you to update your profile will be sent to you.
No, the SRSG/DSRSG/Envoy pool includes all former and currently serving Special Representatives of the Secretary-General (SRSGs), Deputy Special Representatives of the Secretary-General (DSRSGs), and Envoys from United Nations field missions.
All nominations received will be reviewed. Following an internal screening process, suitable profiles will be added to the pool of potential candidates for SRSG/DSRSG/Envoy positions. All nominating entities and nominees will be informed of the outcome of the process (autumn 2024 anticipated). Inclusion in the leadership database does not guarantee an appointment. Shortlisting for specific positions -- as and when a vacancy arises -- will draw from this pool and supplement the Secretariat’s own search and consultations. Candidates found suitable for a specific vacancy may be invited to participate in a competitive assessment process.
The Global Call campaign aims to increase and diversify the pool of potential candidates for Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG), Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General (DSRSG), and Envoy posts. It is not a roster of pre-cleared candidates. Members of the pool do not receive notification of upcoming vacancies. When a specific vacancy arises, the Secretariat conducts search and consultations to identify suitable candidates for these appointments. The pool of potential SRSG/DSRSG/Envoy candidates is a primary source for identifying senior talent appropriate for upcoming positions.
The Global Call and the Senior Women Talent Pipeline (SWTP) are two different outreach initiatives serving different purposes and targeting different career levels. Whereas the SWTP focuses solely on women candidates for senior management positions in the field (mainly D1 and D2-level), the Global Call is open to all genders and focuses on candidates for senior leadership roles (primarily at the Assistant Secretary-General level and Under-Secretary-General level). As such, provided that you meet the minimum requirements of each initiative, you can be part of both pools.
The Global Call is a time-bound outreach initiative to identify candidates specifically for SRSG/DSRSG/Envoy positions located in field missions. The Senior Leadership Talent Pool is a UN-wide database for individuals interested in senior leadership positions at the Under-Secretary-General (USG) and Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) levels across the UN system (including the UN Secretariat and Agencies, Funds and Programmes leadership positions). Applicants to the Senior Leadership Talent pool will not be automatically considered for the SRSG/DSRSG/Envoy pool, unless they specifically apply to the 2024 Global Call, for which there is a separate review process. If you apply to the 2024 Global Call, you will however have the option to indicate whether you wish to also be considered for non-mission senior appointments and thus the Senior Leadership Talent Pool. If your application to the SRSG/DSRSG/Envoy pool is successful, your profile will be automatically shared with the Senior Leadership Talent Pool.
The Global Call focuses on senior leadership positions in field missions; residential posts mainly graded at the Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) and Under-Secretary-General (USG) levels.
Other ASG and USG-level positions within the United Nations are shown separately on the Secretary-General's Senior Vacancies page. Prospective candidates interested in these non-mission positions can also submit an application to the Senior Leadership Talent Pool.
In case your application is successful, you will be added to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG), Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General (DSRSG), and Envoy pool of potential candidates. The SRSG/DSRSG/Envoy pool is one source for identifying talent. When a specific vacancy arises, the Secretariat conducts its own search and consultations to identify suitable candidates for these appointments. Candidates found suitable for a specific vacancy may be invited to participate in a competitive assessment process. SRSGs, DSRSGs, and Special Envoys are appointed by the Secretary-General