Description
This paper examines the attempts of the UN to become an active ‘third force’ in Cold War international politics in three case studies: the Kashmir conflict (1948–1950), the Congo Crisis (1960–1965), and the East Pakistan conflict (1971). It demonstrates that in all three crises, the UN sought to expand its political influence but was soon confronted with its own limitations and varying challenges arising from local and wider historical circumstances. The paper argues that by the 1970s, the initially ambitious approach to conflict settlement had given way to a pragmatic focus on the ‘humanitarian’ aspect of crisis management that shied away from the pursuit of political solutions, with lasting consequences for the UN’s role in the international system.
