Brian Urquhart, early chief of United Nations, dies at 101

Brian Urquhart, an early chief of the United Nations who performed a central function in creating the U.N. observe of peacekeeping, has died at his residence in Tyringham, Massachusetts, in accordance with his household

TYRINGHAM, Mass. — British diplomat Brian Urquhart, an early chief of the United Nations who performed a central function in creating the U.N. observe of peacekeeping, has died, in accordance with his household. He was 101.

Urquhart’s son, Thomas, confirmed he died at his residence in Tyringham, Massachusetts, on Saturday however didn’t present a selected trigger, the New York Times reported.

Urquhart, born in Bridport, England in 1919, served in British navy and intelligence throughout World War II earlier than changing into the second official employed by the U.N. after its formation in 1945. He went on to be a principal adviser to the primary 5 U.N. secretary-generals.

Urquhart labored for the fee that arrange the United Nations Secretariat in 1945, organized the General Assembly’s first assembly in London and settled on New York City because the U.N.’s everlasting residence. But he was finest identified for creating and directing U.N. peacekeeping operations in struggle zones world wide.

Urquhart referred to as peacekeeping forces a military with out an enemy and determined they need to put on blue helmets to tell apart them from combatants. He stated they need to enter a struggle zone solely with broad political help, with the objective of ending hostilities and facilitating negotiations.

Before he retired in 1986, Urquhart had directed 13 peacekeeping operations, recruited a power of 10,000 troops from 23 international locations and established peacekeeping as one of many U.N.’s most seen and politically common features. The U.N. peacekeeping forces received the 1988 Nobel Peace Prize.

Urquhart served 12 years because the U.N.’s No. 2 official, succeeding Ralph J. Bunche as beneath secretary common for political affairs in 1974.

“Sir Brian’s imprint on the United Nations was as profound as that of anyone in the organization’s history,” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Gutteres stated in a press release. “As an aide to Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld, he helped to define the U.N.’s scope of action in addressing armed conflict and other global challenges. And as a close associate of Ralph Bunche, the renowned U.N. official and Nobel-Peace-Prize-winner, Sir Brian helped to establish and then propel international peacekeeping into wide-ranging use.”

Urquhart joined the Ford Foundation after he retired and wrote books and frequent commentaries for The New York Review of Books and different publications. His books embrace a 1987 autobiography, “A Life in Peace and War,” in addition to books on United Nations leaders and operations.

He is survived by his spouse, his 5 kids, a stepson, 14 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.