Oral history interview with Sir Brian Urquhart, 2000
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- Name
- Urquhart, Brian (Interviewee)
- Weiss, Thomas G. (Thomas George), 1946- (Interviewer)
- Title
- Oral history interview with Sir Brian Urquhart, 2000
- Abstract
- Background and childhood: born in England, 1919; education: Oxford University; career: British soldier, 1939-45, personal assistant to acting Secretary-General, 1945, personal assistant to first United Nations [UN] Secretary-General, involvement in issues related to international peace and security, 1954-71, under-secretary-general for special political affairs, 1971, retirement, 1986; themes: expe rience writing autobiography, biographies of other diplomats, colonialism and African independence, instability in African nations as a result of colonialism and independence, role of the Economic Commissions for Europe [ECE] during the Cold War, significance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights [UDHR], UDHR influence on global human rights movements, roles of specialized UN agencies, UN peacekeeping after Bangladesh secession from Pakistan, lack of accountability for Secretariat in UN, effect of McCarthyism on international civil service, differences between UN secretariat and national governments, importance of global conferences and reports, ideas for UN Secretariat reform, instances of members pursuing personal agendas in UN General Assembly, changing relevance of UN, colleague reminiscences
- Collection Name
- United Nations intellectual history project (UNIHP)
- Subjects
- Peace; Security, International; Human rights; Biography as a literary form; Colonies--Africa; Postcolonialism; Africa History; Urquhart, Brian; United Nations Officials and employees; United Nations History; United Nations. Secretary-General; United Nations. Economic Commission for Europe; United Nations. General Assembly; United Nations; Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- Format
- oral histories; sound recordings
- Genre
- Interviews
- Date
- 2000
- Note (Biographical)
- Personal Assistant to UN Secretary General
- Note
- Interviewed by Thomas G. Weiss on January 6, 2000
- Note (Provenance)
- Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, Gift, 2009
- Language
- English
- Library Location
- Columbia Center for Oral History, Columbia University
- Catalog Record
- 13685525
- Persistent URL
- https://dx.doi.org/10.7916/d8-3hct-3e87
- Related URLs
- Available digital content for this interview.