The UN Secretary-General and moral authority; ethics and religion in international leadership

Reference & Research Book News, May, 2008

The UN Secretary-General and moral authority; ethics and religion in international leadership.

Ed. by Kent J. Kille.

Georgetown U. Press

2007

370 pages

$29.95

Paperback

JZ1306

This study of previous Secretary Generals describes their religious and ethics backgrounds, giving clues as to how they not only coped but how they were able to convince others they were suitable bearers of moral authority. Topics include the traditions behind the secretary-general's ethical framework, his or her role as a normative negotiator, the ethical challenges of Lie, the first to hold the title, Hammarskjold's reliance on the New Testament, Thant's Buddhism in action, Waldheim's Roman Catholicism marred by his possible nazi war crimes, Perez de Cueller and his application of religious precepts to bitter reality, Boutros-Ghali's Coptic Christianity set in a utopian city, and Annan's balancing act of politics and secular/religious values.

([c]20082005 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR)