The Role of the United Nations in an Emerging Africa South of the Sahara

Only four states on the African continent were among the original 51 members of the United Nations-Egypt, Ethiopia, Liberia, and the Union of South Africa. In contrast, 22 African countries have gained independence in the last five years, and several others will follow suit in 1961 and 1962.* Already the African nations hold a majority (25 to 21) in the Afro-Asian group in the United Nations, and virtually one-half of the items on the agenda of the sixteenth session of the General Assembly concerned Africa-items ranging from the Congo crisis to strife in Angola, and from South African apartheid to the question of a United Nations development program. Furthermore, the continuation in office of the Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold rests to no small degree upon the active support of the so-called middle and small members, of which African states constitute the largest minority. He stated on October 4, 1960

Development economics · Economic growth · Economics · Geography · Political science · Global Peace and Security Dynamics