Name
Waldheim, Kurt (Interviewee)
Weiss, Thomas G. (Thomas George), 1946- (Interviewer)
Title
Oral history interview with Kurt Waldheim, 2000
Abstract
Early years: graduate of Diplomatic Academy in Vienna; Career: 1948 Secretary of the Austrian Assembly in Paris; 1952-1956 chief of personnel in the ministry; 1955 appointment as permanent observer to the United Nations; 1971-1981 UN Secretary-General; international relations professor at Georgetown; chairman and president of Interaction Council; Themes: influence of McCarthyism on UN; decolonizati on, the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), and the UN; group 77; implementation of internal security protocols at the UN; mediations and negotiations in Middle East; election process as UN Secretary-General; interests of wealthy versus poor countries; power politics, idealism, and realism; The New International Economic Order; role and duties of a Secretary-General; Israeli attack on UN Naquora headquarters in Lebanon; media attack of UN; human rights, environment, habitat, and population as international concerns; UN's moral impact; growing power of non-governmental organizations (NGOs); lack of support for UN international civil service; UN peacekeeping operations; Chinese veto for third-term candidacy as secretary-general; accusations of war crimes and involvement in Nazi organizations; power of the US in international affairs; emergency military force; efficacy of the UN in military engagements
Collection Name
United Nations intellectual history project (UNIHP)
Subjects
Nonalignment; Decolonization; Anti-communist movements--United States; Conflict management--International cooperation.--Middle East; International economic relations; Non-governmental organizations; Human rights--International cooperation; Waldheim, Kurt; United Nations Officials and employees; United Nations History; United Nations. Secretary-General; United Nations Armed Forces; Group of 77; Conference of Heads of State or Government of Non-aligned Countries
Format
oral histories; sound recordings
Genre
Interviews
Date
2000
Note (Biographical)
UN Secretary-General (1971-1981); Austria's Permanent Representative to the United Nations; Austria's Foreign Minister to the United Nations
Note
Interviewed by Thomas G. Weiss on November 20, 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
13685587
Persistent URL
https://dx.doi.org/10.7916/d8-a3pj-0f77
Related URLs
Available digital content for this interview.