ABSTRACT
Once again, these concepts cannot easily be separated from each other. Preventive diplomacy was, so to speak, the overarching concept behind all of Hammarskjöld’s actions. At the same time, the concept of the ‘international civil servant’ is the basis for these new forms of action, and will therefore be discussed together with the instruments of ‘private diplomacy’ and ‘the UN presence’. Each case study will be treated in three stages: a detailed reconstruction of the confl ict, Hammarskjöld’s reaction, and an attempt to link the instrument applied with basic elements of Hammarskjöld’s political ethics. In this way Kanninen’s question of what remains after analysing the legal, political, historical and military aspects of a decision will be taken up once more: ‘But what about the content of basic moral values, and motivations stemming from … deeply-held-beliefs? Does the adherence to certain fundamental values affect decisions taken?’ (1995: 261). While it is not possible to examine all of the confl icts, crises and efforts at mediation in which Hammarskjöld was involved, the three case studies will enable us to meaningfully structure his period in offi ce. Hammarskjöld was not the sole architect and administrator of the concepts and instruments presented in this chapter. Besides the crucial interaction with member states, he was surrounded by a remarkable team which we shall briefl y sketch before turning to the individual case studies.1
