Secretary-General of the United Nations - Quiz
Secretary General of the United Nations
  • 1. Where is the official residence of the UN Secretary-General located?
A) 1 United Nations Plaza
B) Washington D.C.
C) 5th Avenue, Brooklyn
D) 3 Sutton Place, Manhattan
  • 2. In what year was the Secretary-General's townhouse donated to the United Nations?
A) 1921
B) 2018
C) 1972
D) 1945
  • 3. Who was the townhouse at 3 Sutton Place originally built for?
A) Dag Hammarskjöld
B) Javier Pérez de Cuéllar
C) Anne Morgan
D) Trygve Lie
  • 4. On what date was the Youth 2030 strategy launched?
A) 27 July 2020
B) 12 August 2025
C) 24 September 2018
D) 19 September 2018
  • 5. Which country was the first to make a financial commitment to Youth 2030?
A) Denmark
B) Norway
C) United States
D) Sweden
  • 6. What is the name of the foundation that signed a partnership agreement regarding the Youth 2030 strategy?
A) Ford Foundation
B) Clinton Foundation
C) Misk Foundation
D) Gates Foundation
  • 7. What does 'Our Common Agenda' represent?
A) A financial report for the UN
B) The list of UN member nations
C) The Secretary-General's vision for future global cooperation
D) A security protocol for Manhattan
  • 8. When was the Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change launched?
A) 12 August 2025
B) 19 September 2019
C) 24 September 2018
D) 27 July 2020
  • 9. How long is the term for each cohort of the Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change?
A) Four years
B) One year
C) Two years
D) Three years
  • 10. How many members were initially in the Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change?
A) Seven
B) Ten
C) Five
D) Fourteen
  • 11. Who is the only Secretary-General to be born in the Southern Hemisphere?
A) Trygve Lie
B) Dag Hammarskjöld
C) Javier Pérez de Cuéllar
D) António Guterres
  • 12. Who is the only candidate to die while holding the office of Secretary-General?
A) Javier Pérez de Cuéllar
B) Dag Hammarskjöld
C) Boutros Boutros-Ghali
D) Kurt Waldheim
  • 13. Who is the only former head of government to serve as Secretary-General?
A) Trygve Lie
B) Javier Pérez de Cuéllar
C) António Guterres
D) Boutros Boutros-Ghali
  • 14. Who is the oldest Secretary-General at the start of their term?
A) Boutros Boutros-Ghali
B) António Guterres
C) Kurt Waldheim
D) Dag Hammarskjöld
  • 15. Which United Nations organ is overseen by the secretary-general?
A) The International Court of Justice
B) The Security Council
C) The General Assembly
D) The United Nations Secretariat
  • 16. How many nations does the United Nations represent on the global stage?
A) 150
B) 200
C) 100
D) 193
  • 17. Which body's decisions and mandates is the secretary-general responsible for implementing?
A) The General Assembly
B) The Economic and Social Council
C) The Trusteeship Council
D) The Security Council
  • 18. Which chapter of the United Nations Charter outlines the role of the secretary-general?
A) Chapter XX
B) Chapter XV
C) Chapter X
D) Chapter V
  • 19. Who appoints the secretary-general?
A) The International Court of Justice
B) The Secretariat staff
C) The Security Council
D) The General Assembly
  • 20. How many permanent members of the Security Council have the power to veto a nomination for secretary-general?
A) Three
B) Five
C) Ten
D) None
  • 21. What kind of candidates are most secretaries-general usually described as?
A) Academic researchers
B) Compromise candidates from middle powers
C) High-profile world leaders
D) Former presidents of powerful nations
  • 22. A secretary-general cannot be a citizen of which group of nations?
A) Any nation in the G7
B) Any member of the European Union
C) Any country with a nuclear arsenal
D) The Security Council's five permanent members
  • 23. What professional background have all appointees to the position of secretary-general shared to date?
A) Military generals
B) Career diplomats
C) Human rights activists
D) Corporate executives
  • 24. Which secretary-general was denied a third term after receiving 16 vetoes from China in 1981?
A) Dag Hammarskjöld
B) Kurt Waldheim
C) Boutros Boutros-Ghali
D) Trygve Lie
  • 25. The selection process for the secretary-general is often compared to what?
A) A democratic primary
B) A papal conclave
C) A parliamentary vote
D) A corporate merger
  • 26. What mechanism does the Security Council use to choose a candidate since 1981?
A) Secret straw polls
B) Random selection
C) Public debates
D) Open voting
  • 27. In what year did the General Assembly and Security Council first conduct public debates for nominations?
A) 1981
B) 1997
C) 2005
D) 2016
  • 28. Has a woman ever served as secretary-general of the United Nations?
A) Only as an acting secretary-general
B) No
C) Yes
D) Only in the early years
  • 29. What title does the UN Charter designate to the secretary-general?
A) Chief administrative officer
B) Head of the Security Council
C) President of the General Assembly
D) Supreme leader of the UN
  • 30. Who has the power to make employment decisions regarding Secretariat staff?
A) The Security Council
B) The General Assembly
C) The International Court of Justice
D) The secretary-general
  • 31. The UN describes the secretary-general as a combination of an advocate, diplomat, civil servant, and what else?
A) Chief judge
B) Head of state
C) Chief executive officer
D) Military commander
  • 32. How often does the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination meet?
A) Once a year
B) Every two years
C) Monthly
D) Twice a year
  • 33. What document does the secretary-general publish annually to outline future priorities?
A) A list of global sanctions
B) An annual report on the work of the UN
C) A global security budget
D) A manifesto for world peace
  • 34. What is the secretary-general's role regarding the United Nations System Chief Executives Board?
A) External auditor
B) Chairman
C) Treasurer
D) Secretary
  • 35. What phrase is used to describe steps taken by the secretary-general to prevent international disputes?
A) Good offices
B) Executive intervention
C) Public diplomacy
D) Mediation mandate
  • 36. Which secretary-general played a role in deescalating the Cuban Missile Crisis?
A) Trygve Lie
B) Dag Hammarskjöld
C) U Thant
D) Javier Perez de Cuellar
  • 37. Javier Perez de Cuellar is noted for negotiating a ceasefire in which conflict?
A) Arab-Israel conflict
B) Cuban Missile Crisis
C) World War II
D) Iran-Iraq War
  • 38. How do observers often describe the secretary-general's office?
A) World's most visible bully pulpit
B) International parliament
C) World's supreme court
D) Global police force
  • 39. What characterizes the powers of the secretary-general according to the text?
A) They are identical to those of the Security Council
B) They are strictly limited by regional treaties
C) Many are informal and left to individual interpretation
D) They require approval from the International Court of Justice
  • 40. What does the secretary-general's 'good offices' rely upon?
A) Authorization from the General Assembly
B) Independence, impartiality and integrity
C) Military power and economic sanctions
D) Wealth and private funding
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