History/Political Science paper by Kecskés D., Gusztáv
Panel proposal: The 1956 Hungarian Refugee Crisis. IV. Global UN Press Campaign for the Hungarian Refugees (Accepted)
Type of Abstract (select):Abstract (max. 250 words):
The great wave of Hungarian migration which followed the suppression of the 1956 Hungarian revolution by the Soviets, and the international rescue movement organised for its reception, is an outstanding chapter in the history of migrations in Hungary and the world alike. The provision of the some 200 thousand people was a conspicuous success of the international organisation of migrant assistance service, in which the institutions of the UN family played a decisive role. This paper examines the role that the UN played in providing the financial means on which this miraculous series of events was based. According to the author’s conclusions, through the coordination of money-raising efforts, sanctioned by international law (that is, the decisions of the UN General Assembly), the professional and trustworthy documentation of humanitarian needs and activities, as well as the equally professionally organised and coordinated media campaign in order to support the money-raising efforts, the institutional network of the UN contributed considerably to the formation of a unity of opinion on the part of the Western governments and to its practical implementation. The present paper is based on documents from the archives of the UN itself (New York, Geneva) and the UNHCR Archives (Geneva).
Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
Gusztáv D. Kecskés is a senior research fellow of the Research Centre for the Humanities, Institute of History (Budapest). He received his PhD (history of the international relations) from the University of Paris III, Sorbonne and University of Pécs in 2003. He conducted extensive research in the archives of European great powers and international organizations. He published books about French-Hungarian relations and French foreign policy towards East Central Europe in the 20th century, Hungary and the United Nations and the international reception of the 1956 Hungarian refugees.