[7] Eligibility for employment is based on a competitive application process, and there are opportunities across a variety of positions, from internships to mid-level roles and senior leadership appointments.

[10] During staff recruitment, geographical representation is an especially prominent selection factor in order for the UN workforce to accurately reflect the scope of member states present in the UN.

[11] Headquartered in New York, the secretariat functions through duty stations in Addis Ababa, Bangkok, Beirut, Geneva, Nairobi, Santiago and Vienna, in addition to offices all over the world.

[12] One study finds the following factors play a role in the selection of staff for the secretariat: a desire to achieve a minimum number of officials from each state; population size; and lo assessment of dues.

In December 1994, the UN General Assembly's "disappointment" that its gender equality target were not met urged the secretary-general to prioritize the recruitment and promotion of women to reach to 50/50 representation in D1 and above posts by 2000.

[23]: preamble [24] On 4 September 2012, in his annual reports to the General Assembly, titled "Improvement of the Status of Women in the United Nations System", Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated that the aim of the special measures was to ensure "gender balance in recruitment and promotion".

These measures include mandatory selection of equally or better-qualified women candidates…"[22]: paragraph 147b Since its creation, the secretariat has undergone extensive reforms.

He announced his intentions to appoint a scientific adviser, create a peacebuilding support office, establish a cabinet-style decision-making mechanism, and strengthen the mediation function.

He also asked the General Assembly to appropriate funds for a one-time staff buyout; to work with him in revising budgetary and human resources rules; to grant the secretary-general more managerial authority and flexibility; to strengthen the Office of Internal Oversight Services; and "to review all mandates older than five years to see whether the activities concerned are still genuinely needed or whether the resources assigned to them can be reallocated in response to new and emerging challenges".