The General Secretariat is the administrative body of the United Nations Organization (UN), whose highest representative is the "Secretary General" and who, in terms of the Organization's relations with other Organizations or States, is the highest authority of the United Nations. United. Although the position of the Secretary General tended to be passive, after the appointment of Kofi Annan (1997-2006), he began to have a transversal influence on international relations, International Law and mediation in war conflicts. In this sense, the Charter of the United Nations expresses the following:  

Article 97

The Secretariat shall be composed of a Secretary General and the personnel required by the Organization. The Secretary General will be appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council. The Secretary General shall be the highest administrative officer of the Organization.

Article 98

The Secretary General shall act as such in all sessions of the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council and the Trusteeship Council, and shall perform the other functions entrusted to him by said bodies. The Secretary General shall render an annual report on the activities of the Organization to the General Assembly. 

Article 99

The Secretary General may call the attention of the Security Council to any matter that in his opinion may endanger the maintenance of international peace and security.

Article 100

In the performance of their duties, the Secretary-General and the staff of the Secretariat shall neither seek nor receive instructions from any government or authority outside the Organization, and shall refrain from any action inconsistent with their status as international officials responsible only to the Organization. Each Member of the United Nations undertakes to respect the exclusively international character of the functions of the Secretary-General and the staff of the Secretariat and not to seek to influence them in the performance of their duties.

Article 101

The staff of the Secretariat shall be appointed by the Secretary-General in accordance with the rules established by the General Assembly. Adequate staff shall be permanently assigned to the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council, and, as required, other organs of the United Nations. This staff shall form part of the Secretariat. The primary consideration in appointing the staff of the Secretariat and determining the conditions of service shall be the need to ensure the highest degree of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Due consideration shall also be given to the importance of recruiting staff in a manner that ensures the broadest possible geographical representation.