The new volume in the series Documents on Italy’s International Policy, curated by the Unit for Analysis, Planning, Statistics and Historical Documentation of the Italian Foreign Ministry, entitled Italy at the UN during its first term on the Security Council (1 January 1959 – 31 December 1960), is now freely available to consult online.
The volume presents documents concerning the role of Italian diplomacy in the principal body of the United Nations during a crucial two-year period in the post-war era. The crisis of the colonial system in sub-Saharan Africa and the convergence between newly independent countries and the Eastern bloc brought about a shift in the balance of power within the organisation, to the detriment of Western primacy, expanding the themes of discussion and the range of activities. A particularly significant moment was the Congo crisis, which led to the first peacekeeping mission equipped with significant military capabilities: the United Nations Operation in the Congo (ONUC). Italy contributed with two key contingents, one aviation and one medical, thereby strengthening its role in international diplomacy and the operational work of the United Nations.
The volume can be downloaded from the following link
