About the Under-Secretary General

Mr. Starr brings to the job extensive experience managing global security operations of a civilian organization, developing security policy, and setting organizational standards. This appointment was taken mindful of the immediate need to tackle the heightened serious security risks facing the Organization around the world and of the profile of Mr. Starr that enables him to take up the task immediately. Bearing in mind the need to deliver on the difficult task, the Secretary-General intended to strengthen the performance-based accountability of this post. In reaching this conclusion, additional consideration was given to the importance of a cooperative relationship between the Organization and the Host Government during the crucial period of the Capital Master Plan at HQ. Member States have been informed in advance of this decision.

Mr. Starr will bring first-hand experience in the formulation of security policies and in the implementation of programmes to ensure the continued conduct of activities in a secure environment at headquarters and overseas. Mr. Starr has been working in a security capacity with the State Department since 1980; he has served in domestic and overseas assignments.

Mr. Starr was the Director of the Diplomatic Security Service and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, US Department of State. In such capacity he was responsible for all international and domestic security programs for the Department of State, protecting more than 285 U.S. Embassies and Consulates abroad, 100 domestic facilities, and 85,000 employees, families, and contractors.

He previously served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Security Countermeasures. His portfolio included development and implementation of physical and technical security programs worldwide, and serving as the senior Diplomatic Security representative for the Department’s Capital Security Construction Program. This highly successful program has to date resulted in the construction of over 60 new secure U.S. Embassies and Consulates, moving thousands of employees to safer facilities. Overseas he has served with the Department of State in Israel, Senegal, Tunisia, and the nation formerly known as Zaire.

Mr. Starr earned a Masters of Forensic Science and Bachelors in Political Science from the George Washington University. He was born on February 3, 1953. He is married with two children.

Executive Office

The Executive Office is responsible for all financial, personnel and general administrative matters concerning the Department as delegated by the Under-Secretary-General for Management.

The Department has in excess of 1,800 staff and a biennial budget of approximately $ 400 million. In addition to providing administrative and programme support in human resources, financial and general administrative matters at Headquarters, the Executive Office collaborates with chiefs of administration at offices away from Headquarters and regional commissions to ensure appropriate and consistent administrative arrangements for the Security and Safety Services.

The Executive Office is also responsible for the selection and career management of security advisers/security coordination officers assigned to field positions. That includes the maintenance of a roster of qualified candidates to fill field positions in about 150 countries.

Policy, Planning and Coordination Unit

The Policy, Planning and Coordination Unit serves as the secretariat for the Inter-Agency Security Management Network (IASMN), which approves field security policy on behalf of the United Nations security management system. Its mission is to manage the development, production, dissemination and maintenance of UN security policy, direction, procedure and guidance in order to support DSS in its role of facilitating and coordinating the UN Security Management System.

Compliance, Investigations and Monitoring Section

The Compliance, Investigations and Monitoring Section is an agent of change within DSS that provides world-wide evaluation, inspection, programme monitoring and investigative services to the Security Management System. It is made up of two units: the Compliance, Evaluation and Monitoring Unit (CEMU) and the Internal Affairs Unit (IAU).

The mission of CEMU is to enable the implementation of programmes and mandates, in as safe and secure a manner as possible by ensuring a standardized framework for the UN Security Management System. The overall mission of the IAU is to ensure that complaints made against DSS staff are investigated in an objective and professional manner in conformity with Organizational rules, regulations and administrative issuances and in compliance with internationally accepted standards of investigations.