In the 50 years since Hammarskjold led the UN, there has never been another like him, writes El-Sayed Amin Shalabi* It's been 50 years since UN secretary-general Dag Hammarskjold's plane crashed in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) in mysterious circumstances. Hammarskjold's death was mourned by politicians across the world, many of whom viewed him as one of the greatest diplomats of his time. Assuming the top job in the UN in 1953, Hammarskjold was not thwarted by the tensions of the Cold War nor intimidated by major nations trying to manipulate the UN. Since his first day in the job, Hammarskjold defended the organisation's independence, making it clear to others that he wasn't just another run-of-the-mill functionary, but a talented negotiator who believed in shared human values. Never a man to shy away from confrontation, he stood up to US attempts to control the UN Secretariat at the height of McCarthyism. His policies won him the respect of US president Eisenhower, who acknowledged with gratitude Hammarskjold's role in freeing American pilots held by China. During the Suez Crisis, Hammarskjold didn't hesitate to condemn the invasion of Egypt by the UK and France. He even threatened to resign if the two countries didn't pull out their troops immediately. He is credited for creating the peace keeping missions now seen in Sinai and other parts of the world. During the crisis in Congo, Hammarskjold came to blows with the Soviet Union, resisting the latter's attempts to bring the newly-independent Congo under its control. Offended by Hammarskjold's insistence, Soviet leader Khrushchev called for his resignation from the UN podium. Hammarskjold, with typical aplomb, said he would only resign if asked to do so by the majority of members in the organisation, an answer that brought him a standing ovation from the UN floor. Hammarskjold brought dynamism to the job of UN secretary-general. His interpretation of Article 99 of the UN Charter was particularly inspiring, for he considered it his right to take the initiative in matters of consequence for world peace and security. Throughout his career, Hammarskjold supported the rights of small and medium-sized countries, feeling that these were the countries that needed the UN most. And as the number of newly-independent nations increased, he took every possible measure to ensure that the UN would offer them political and technical backing. He knew that the gap between poor and rich countries could jeopardise international peace, and his actions were thus inspired not just by an abstract sense of justice but by the pragmatic needs of modern diplomacy. Keeping to himself most of the time, Hammarskjold acquired a reputation for being a private man, stern and distant. It was an image that he cultivated in order to keep others from exploiting his friendship. To those who worked closely with him, he was known to be friendly and cheerful, someone who loved and enjoyed life. What many don't know is that he was fond of art and literature. A member of the board of the Swedish Academy, Hammarskjold often interspersed his speeches with literary quotations and poetic language. His book, Markings, sheds light on the literary inclinations that made him one of the jurists for the Noble Prize for Literature. In his book, he speaks frequently about the need to have balance between soul and mind. Times have changed since Hammarskjold was UN secretary-general, but there is a lot the world can learn from him. The principles he stood for and the causes he refused to abandon are still as relevant today as they were a half century ago. I agree with Brian Urquhart, who wrote a biography about Hammarskjold, that the UN needs another chief with Hammarskjold's talents and determination. * The writer is executive director of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs and author of Dag Hammarskjold: His Life and Thinking .
