Political Ethics and The United Nations

Book excerpt: Based on a wealth of sources, files and interviews, and including previously unpublished material, this book explores the foundations of the political ethics of Dag Hammarskjöld, the second Secretary-General of the United Nations, examining how they influenced his actions in several key crisis situations. Hammarskjöld’s political innovations, such as the creation of peacekeeping forces, the use of private diplomacy and the concept of the international civil service, were bold attempts at translating the aims and principles of the UN charter into concrete thought and action. Kofi Annan described Hammarskjöld’s approach as a useful guideline to dealing with the problems of a globalized world. Offering a topical perspective on a subject that has not recently been explored, this book analyzes Hammarskjöld’s successes and failures in a way which offers insights into contemporary problems, and in doing so provides a significant and original contribution to UN studies. Political Ethics and The United Nations will be of interest to students of the United Nations, peace studies, and international relations in general.