Secretariat

Annual Report of the Secretary-General: In the introduction to the eighth annual report ofthe Secretary-General on the work of the United Nations, which covered the period of July 1, 1953, to June 30, 1954, Dag Hammarskjold reviewed the role of the United Nations in the maintenance of peace and security in the light of the recent cessation of fighting in Korea and in Indochina. He stated that while every effort to further the purposes of the United Nations, even if outside the framework of the organization, should be welcomed, although such developments might weaken the prestige and effectiveness of the United Nations. More specifically, he noted that while the use of regional arrangements, when appropriate, was encouraged in the Charter, “where resort to such arrangements is chosen in the first instance, that choice should not be permitted to cast any doubt on the ultimate responsibility of the United Nations”. Mr. Hammarskjold expressed belief in the need for new approaches to peace inthe light of the failure of the subcommittee set up by the Disarmament Commission to reach any agreement at London. He took special note of the absence from the United Nations of “almost half the countries of Europe” as well as statesin other areas. The Secretary-General felt that the situation in the middle easthad deteriorated during the period under review; the United Nations had aspecial responsibility there, and should search for ways to eliminate points of friction not involving questions of principle, until such time as it would be possible to achieve a genuine peace settlement.