Die Guten Dienste des Generalsekretärs der Vereinten Nationen in Kon!ikten im Nahen Osten

Since the end of World War II, the Near East has been in constant trouble. The United Nations apply a variety of means and methods to make a positive impact upon the different con'icts in the region. In the article, an often-overlooked tool of peaceful dispute settlement and its application in the Near East is explored: the Good Of)ces of the Secretary- General of the United Nations. Three high-pro)le case studies serve as examples to illustrate the efforts of the different Secretary-Generals over time. The )rst case concerns the use of Good Of)ces by U Thant to solve the dispute concerning the political fate of Bahrain in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In the second case the actions of Kurt Waldheim in the Tehran Hostage Situation from 1979 to 1980 are explored. The third case revolves around the Good Of)ces in the political and military con'icts in Yemen since 2011. The main aim of this article is to illustrate how Good Of)ces are actually used in international practice and which circumstances lead to success and failure.