Who Runs the International System? Power and the Staffing of the United Nations Secretariat
National governments frequently pull strings to get their citizens appointed to senior positions in international institutions. In this paper, the
Center for Global Development examines the nationalities of the most senior positions in the United Nations Secretariat.
It indicates which nations are successful, and what national characteristics correlate with power in international institutions. The most overrepresented countries are small, rich democracies like the Nordic countries. The influence of the United States has diminished as US ideology has shifted away from its early allies. In spite of the decline in US influence, the Secretariat remains pro-American relative to the world at large.
http://www.cgdev.org/sites/default/files/un_paper_0.pdf
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