UN / HAMMARSKJOLD

STORY: UN / HAMMARSKJOLD
TRT: 1:45
SOURCE: UNIFEED-UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS (ALL FILE)

DATELINE: 22 DECEMBER 2014, NEW YORK CITY
SHOTLIST:
RECENT, NEW YORK CITY
1. Exterior of UN headquarters
15 DECEMBER NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, UN General Assembly (15 December 2014)
3. Wide shot, Swedish Ambassador approaches podium
4. SOUNDBITE, (English 15 December) Swedish Deputy Ambassador Per Thöresson,),”The purpose of this resolution is thus to help shed new light on the circumstances surrounding the death of Dag Hammarskjöld and those on board his flight, not only by bringing existing documents forward, but also by providing the conditions necessary to finally hear witnesses whose testimony has so far not been given due attention.”
5. Medium shot, delegates
6. SOUNDBITE, (English 15 December) Swedish Deputy Ambassador Per Thöresson, “ We join the Secretary-General in encouraging member states to release any relevant records that may bring new information regarding the crash of the plane, and welcome all that can be done in order to bring further clarification into this matter.”
7. Wide shot, General Assembly
8. Various shots the airplane crash (black and white)
9. Med shot, removal of a body (black and white)
10. SOUNDBITE (English FILE) Hammarskjold (black and white), “The principles of the charter are by far, greater than the organization in which they are embodied. And the aims which they are to safeguard are holier than the policies of any single nation or people.”
11. Various shots of Hammarskjold at Kinshasa airport (black and white)

STORYLINE
The United Nations today moved closer to opening a new investigation into the death of its second Secretary-General, Dag Hammarskjöld.

A General Assembly appropriations committee Tuesday considered a resolution asking Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to appoint, “an independent panel of experts to examine new information and to assess its probative value.”
The budgetary fifth committee was to send the resolution to the General Assembly Tuesday night but deferred for further discussion. The fifth committee and the plenary General Assembly meet again on Wednesday before a holiday break.
Last March Secretary-General reported to the General Assembly that a recent investigation by an independent commission had reported the existence of “new evidence” in the case. The commission’s report left open the possibility that the aircraft was attacked.
Last Monday (15 December) Swedish Deputy Ambassador Per Thöresson presented the resolution asking for the appointment of an independent panel.
The resolution asks “member states to release any relevant records in their possession and to provide the Secretary-General relevant information related to the death of Dag Hammarskjöld.”
Thöresson said (15 December),”The purpose of this resolution is thus to help shed new light on the circumstances surrounding the death of Dag Hammarskjöld and those on board his flight, not only by bringing existing documents forward, but also by providing the conditions necessary to finally hear witnesses whose testimony has so far not been given due attention.”
He said, “We join the Secretary-General in encouraging member states to release any relevant records that may bring new information regarding the crash of the plane, and welcome all that can be done in order to bring further clarification into this matter.”
Hammarskjöld’s aircraft went down in what was then Rhodesia 18 September 1961 while he on his fourth trip to the Congo area in an attempt to negotiate peace among warring factions.
Hammarskjöld was unanimously appointed Secretary-General of the United Nations by the General Assembly on 7 April 1953. On 10 April 1953, he took the oath of office for a term of five years. He was re-appointed unanimously for another five-year term in September 1957-- more than six months before the end of his first term.