The United Nations And Decolonization

Differing interpretations of the history of the United Nations on the one hand conceive of it as an instrument to promote colonial interests while on the other emphasize its influence in facilitating self-determination for dependent territories. The authors in this book explore this dynamic in order to expand our understanding of both the achievements and the limits of international support for the independence of colonized peoples. This book will prove foundational for scholars and students of modern history, international history, and postcolonial history.

When the United Nations' Charter was signed in San Francisco in 1945, the number of African member states of the Organisation was only 4. By the end of 1960 it had risen to 22. Today it is 41. How has this come about? The answer is given in this valuable book by Dr. Yassin EI-Ayouty. The handful of Asian and African countries who had the privilege of foundation membership made it their business to see to it that their brethren who were still under the colonial yoke attained their freedom and independence as soon as possible and, in the meanwhile, that they were treated with decency and fairness by their colonial masters. It was a tough assignment. The struggle was long, requiring a great deal of patience and endurance. It was at times fierce, requiring much dogged resolution. It also called for the deployment of intellectual agility ofthe highest order. Fortunately all these qualities were available in the rep resentatives of Asia and Africa who led the great struggle. These dis tinguished delegates also demonstrated a wonderful degree of solidarity which has, happily, become an Afro-Asian tradition at the United Nations. The battle began even before the Organisation had itself become a fact. It would have been a more difficult struggle, had there been no provision in the Charter at all in respect of colonies, by whatever name called.

This book analyses three major themes: decolonization, sovereignty, and peacekeeping. Their interaction during the national liberation struggle during the Cold War, culminating in the 1956 Suez War, addresses the principle of national sovereignty after World War II in the framework of the UN Charter. The new peacekeeping operations were used in many conflicts, during which the Charter’s theory and application were tested. The rise of the USA as the key Western power and Israel’s special role in the Middle East have created a new confrontational dynamic for the entire region. The interaction between the book’s main themes in the field has led to the principles of peacekeeping in international and national conflicts being reviewed in light of the discredited ‘Capstone Doctrine’. The author argues that state sovereignty is sacrosanct, but humanitarian interventions are equally imperative in his view. Striking the right balance is crucial for managing conflicts. The author: · offers a well-informed historical account and an authoritative political analysis · was exposed to UNEF deployments and termination and knows key peacekeeping actors · draws on original documents, memoirs, and interviews · includes unpublished photos and previously unavailable documentary material · has experience in government and academia

Postwar multilateral cooperation is often viewed as an attempt to overcome the limitations of the nation-state system. However, in 1945, when the United Nations was founded, large parts of the world were still under imperial control. Building States investigates how the UN tried to manage the dissolution of European empires in the 1950s and 1960s—and helped transform the practice of international development and the meaning of state sovereignty in the process. Eva-Maria Muschik argues that the UN played a key role in the global proliferation and reinvention of the nation-state in the postwar era, as newly independent states came to rely on international assistance. Drawing on previously untapped primary sources, she traces how UN personnel—usually in close consultation with Western officials—sought to manage decolonization peacefully through international development assistance. Examining initiatives in Libya, Somaliland, Bolivia, the Congo, and New York, Muschik shows how the UN pioneered a new understanding and practice of state building, presented as a technical challenge for international experts rather than a political process. UN officials increasingly took on public-policy functions, despite the organization’s mandate not to interfere in the domestic affairs of its member states. These initiatives, Muschik suggests, had lasting effects on international development practice, peacekeeping, and post-conflict territorial administration. Casting new light on how international organizations became major players in the governance of developing countries, Building States has significant implications for the histories of decolonization, the Cold War, and international development.

A new investigation into Hammarskjöld's role in the decolonisation of Africa during the Cold War offers startling conclusions.