40 United Nations Peacemakers

Click here for United Nations peace monuments. | Click here for UN Messengers of Peace.
Click here for return to worldwide list of notable peacemakers (& for meaning of symbols).

1871-1955 - Cordell Hull - Longest serving US Secretary of State. "Father of the United Nations." 1945

1879-1954 - Leon Jouhaux - Trade union leader. Helped set up International Labour Organization (ILO). 1951

1880-1971 - Lord Boyd Orr - Teacher, doctor, biologist & politician. 1st Director-General of UN Food & Agriculture Organization. 1949

1884-1962 - Eleanor Roosevelt - Wife of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (qv). Chaired UDHR Commission. 1960

1887-1967 - Sir Julian Huxley - Evolutionary biologist. Sec Zoo. Society of London. 1st Director UNESCO. A World Wildlife Fund founder. 1962

1896-1971 - George Brock Chisholm - Medical practitioner. First Director-General of World Health Organization (WHO). Advocated religious tolerance. 1959
1896-1968 - Trygve Lie - Labor leader. Foreign minister in London 1940-1945. 1st Secretary General of the United Nations 1946-1952.

1897-1972 - Lester Bowles Pearson - Organized UN Emergency Force to resolve Suez Canal Crisis. Only Canadian recipient of Nobel Peace Prize. 1957

1900-1965 - Adlai Stevenson - US representative to UN. Two-time Democratic candidate for president of the US.

1903-1971 - Ralph Bunche - Political scientist & diplomat. Mediated in Palestine. First person of color to receive Nobel Prize. 1950 1963

1905-1961 - Dag Hammarskjöld - UN Secretary General 1953-1961. Born as his father helped negotiate dissolution of union between Sweden & Norway. 1961
1905-1972 - Chiyoji Nakagawa - Mayor of Uwajima (Shikoku Island). Gave Japanese Peace Bell to United Nations in 1954.

1907-1990 - William R. Huntington. Architect. American Friends Service Committee activist. Sailed on "Golden Rule" to protest US nuclear tests.

1909-1974 - U Thant - Diplomat. Secretary of 1st Asian–African summit (Bandung 1955). 3rd Secretary General of the United Nations 1961-1971.

1914-2006 - Louis B. Sohn - Law Professor. Wrote "World PeaceThrough World Law" in 1958 with Greenville Clark.

1918-2007 - Kurt Waldheim - Wehrmacht intelligence officer during WW-II (causing controversy in 1985). Diplomat. 4th UN Secretary General 1972-1981.

1920-Alive - Javier Pérez de Cuéllar - Diplomat. 5th Secretary General of the United Nations 1982-1991. Member of Club de Madrid.

1922-Alive - Boutros Boutros-Ghali - 6th Secretry General of the United Nations 1992-1996. Issued "An Agenda for Peace" in 1992.

1923-Alive - Robert Muller - "Philosopher of the UN." Founded UN University for Peace in 1980 in Costa Rica. Chick here for his personal website.

1928-Alive - Hans Blix - Diplomat & Liberal People's Party politician. Head of UN Weapons Monitoring, Verification & Inspection Commission 2000-2003.

1929-Alive - Krishna Ahooja-Patel - Gandhian. Worked for International Labor Organization 1962-1987. President of WILPF.
1929-Alive - Maurice Strong - Oil executive. First Exec Director of UN Environment Programme. President of Council of UN University for Peace.

1932-2017 - Jonathan Moore - "Accomplished idealistic & compassionate ends" in Depts of State, Defense & HEW. Directed John F Kennedy School of Govt.
1932-Alive - Andrew Young - Disciple of MLK, Jr. Congressman. US Rep to UN. Mayor of Atlanta. 1981 Year? 1996

1934-Alive - Lakhdar Brahimi - Diplomat & UN adviser. Member of Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor & Global Leadership Foundation.

1937-Alive - Martti Ahtisaari - President of Finland. Helped solve conflicts in Namibia, Indonesia, Kosovo, Iraq, etc. 2008

1938-Alive - Kofi Annan - Diplomat. Secretary General of the United Nations 1997-2006. Founded Global AIDS & Health Fund. 2001
1938-Alive - Ted Turner - Media mogul & philanthropist. Founded Cable News Network. Gave $1 billion to UN causes. Chairs UN Foundation. 1990

1939-Alive - Gro Harlem Brundtland - Physician & diplomat. PM 1986-96. Intl leader in sustainable development & public health.

1942-Alive - Mohamed ElBaradei - Law scholar & diplomat. IAEA Director General 1997-2009. 2005
c1942-Alive - Gillian Miller Sorensen - Asst UN SecGen for external relations. Senior Adviser to UN Foundation (Ted Turner). Husband of Ted Sorensen [1928-2010].

1944-Alive - Ban Ki-Moon - Career diplomat. 8th Secretary General of the United Nations since 2007.
1944-Alive - Mary Robinson - President of Ireland 1990-97. UN High Commissioner for Refugees 1997-2002.

1945-1981 - Bob Marley - Singer-songwriter & musician. Spread reggae music & Rastafari movement to worldwide audience. Awarded Peace Medal of the Third World by the UN. Died age 36.

1946-Alive - Roméo Dellaire - General, senator & humanitrian. UN peacekeeper in Rwanda. Was ordered not to stop Hutu/Tutsi genocide in 1994.

1947-Alive - Alfred-Maurice de Zayas - Lawyer, writer, historian & peace activist. UN Independent Expert on the Promotion of a Democratic & Equitable International Order.

1948-2003 - Sérgio Vieira de Mello - UN peacekeeper. Killed in Iraq. Click here for UN peace monuments.

1949-Alive - Kathy Calvin - Journalist & PR professional. President & CEO of UN Foundation (Ted Turner).

1953-Alive - Kassym-Jomart Tokayev - Kazakhstan Foreign Min 2003-07. Chaired Senate 2007-11. Director Gen UN Office at Geneva since 2011.

1961-Alive - Sottt Ritter - UN Special Commission (UNSCOM) weapons inspector in Iraq 1991-98. Then anti-war author & talk show commentator.