Chief of Section, Legal Affairs

About the role

The Office of Legal Affairs is the United Nations' central legal service, providing advice to the Secretary‑General, UN bodies and member states. The Chief of the Treaty Section leads a team that manages the UN’s multilateral treaty portfolio and supports the development and interpretation of international law.

Key responsibilities

• Formulate the Section’s work programme, set priorities and allocate resources to ensure timely delivery of outputs.
• Oversee administration, budgeting, performance reporting and staff evaluation for the Section.
• Manage task assignments, monitor programme performance and ensure effective completion of work.
• Supervise research and analysis on complex treaty and international law issues.
• Provide legal advice on treaty‑law matters, draft and interpret final clauses of multilateral treaties, and act as depositary for over 550 treaties.
• Promote participation in the multilateral treaty framework through events and outreach activities.
• Interpret and apply General Assembly regulations related to Article 102 of the UN Charter, directing registration, filing and recording of treaties.
• Respond to inquiries from Member States, treaty bodies, international organisations and private individuals.
• Plan and supervise dissemination of treaty‑related information via the Treaty Information and Publication System.

Required profile

Required skills