Description
In 1953 Dag Hammarskjoeld became the second Secretary-General of the United Nations--the highest international civil servant. Before his mission was cut short by a 1961 plane crash in then Northern Rhodesia (Zambia), he used his office to act on the basis of anti-hegemonic values, including solidarity and recognition of otherness. The dubious circumstances of Hammarskjoeld's death have received much attention, including a new official investigation; but have perhaps overshadowed his diplomatic legacy--one that has often been hotly contested. Henning Melber explores the years of African decolonisation during which Hammarskjoeld was in office, investigating the scope and limits of his influence within the context of global governance. He paints a picture of a man with strong guiding principles, but limited room for manoeuver, colliding with the essential interests of the big powers as the 'wind of change' blew over the African continent. His book is a critical contribution to the study of international politics and the role of the UN in the Cold War. It is also a tribute to the achievements of a cosmopolitan Swede.
About the Author
Henning Melber is Director Emeritus of The Dag Hammarskjoeld Foundation and Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London. He is also President of the European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes, and Extraordinary Professor at the University of Pretoria's Department of Political Sciences and at the University of the Free State's Centre for Africa Studies.
Reviews
Book Information
ISBN 9781787380042
Author Henning Melber
Format Hardback
Page Count 184
Imprint C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd
Publisher C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd
About the Author
Henning Melber is Director Emeritus of The Dag Hammarskjoeld Foundation and Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London. He is also President of the European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes, and Extraordinary Professor at the University of Pretoria's Department of Political Sciences and at the University of the Free State's Centre for Africa Studies.
Reviews
'Melber's book is a compelling one, based on assiduous research, which avoids slipping into hagiography. ... [Dag Hammarskjoeld] provides a forceful counterargument that explains how Hammarskjoeld embodied a short-lived zeitgeist and why his application of an ethical vision to international diplomacy remains pivotal today.'
-- Journal of African HistoryBook Information
ISBN 9781787380042
Author Henning Melber
Format Hardback
Page Count 184
Imprint C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd
Publisher C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd
