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Q: What
was Bunche's role in the creation of the UN's Atomic Energy
Agency, and what role did you play in that project?
A: There were two things we had
to do; one was a conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy
which was in 1955, which was a huge exchange of previously declassified
information. It was a fascinating conference, and politically
very important. And Bunche was put on to organize that. And
then we had to set up the International Atomic Energy Agency,
which still exists in Vienna, which was going to be the permanent
body on Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy. And Bunche was also
put in charge of that.
Q: What
other roles did Bunche play at the UN?
A: When Hammarskjöld arrived,
Hammarskjöld used him not only as a general political advisor
and operator but also in the whole process of completely reorganizing
the UN Secretariat, which was the first thing Hammarskjöld
did. Bunche was one of the key people in this. So he became
very important on the administrative and operational and management
side as well. But what he was most recognized for was as a negotiator
of conflict situations, and of course, later on, as the organizer
of peace-keeping operations because he was the person that not
only organized but ran all of them. And, incidentally, invented
the techniques and the principles on which they were run, which
we are still using very successfully today. |
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