UN: The First Fifteen Years

by Clark M. Eichelberger ‧ RELEASE DATE: N/A

Eichelberger, Executive Director of the American Association for the United Nations, undertook to write this brief volume because of the vast changes in the five years since the publication of his UN: The First 10 Years. The approach of interplanetary exploration; the colonial revolts and swelling of UN membership to 82 members, with more to come; the ""population explosion""; the breakdown of the Five Power system originally intended to be the bulwark of the Security Council; the emergence of UN as a deciding factor for peace, particularly with the collapse of ""Summitry"",- these high spot the issues. ""Nothing will finally keep the peace except through a concept of Planet Earth"" he concludes, and he applauds or deplores UN agencies and activities to the extent that they have accepted this concept. He traces the uneven development of the peacemaking machinery, but sees hope in certain developments. He feels that emphasis on control and inspection in relation to disarmament point toward a world of law and an international police force. He deplores the reluctance of member nations to ratify the enforcing Covenants of the Universal Declaration Of Human Rights. While he finds much to extoll in the work of various agencies, he feels that all should have combined to make Africa a UN showcase rather than throw open the emergent continent to a bidding contest between ideologies. While not specifying the how of Charter revision, he feels that it is necessary for the strengthening of the UN as an instrument of international policy on various levels, even extending to such areas as Outer Space, Antarctica and the sea bottoms beyond the continental shelf. While Mr. Eichelberger is sometimes pedantic, often repetitious, his book has authority and will give no comfort to those who still predict disaster for the UN.

Pub Date: N/A

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Harper

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1960

Categories: NONFICTION