U Thant the Secretary General of the UN addresses a meeting of the International Bar Association.
Born in Burma (now Myanmar) in 1909, U Thant worked as a teacher and civil servant, government advisor and diplomat.
He was designated Secretary General of the United Nations following the death of former Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld in an air accident in 1961. In 1962 he was unanimously appointed Secretary General by the UN General Assembly, and again in 1966 by the unanimous recommendation of the UN Security Council.
In Ireland for the twelfth conference of the International Bar Association held in the RDS (Royal Dublin Society), Secretary General U Thant calls for cooperation between rich and poor nations. The world has arrived at a crossroads in history, with two choices before it.
His hope is that common sense will prevail and that the international community will,
March together, work together...to plan a prosperous future.
During his brief visit, U Thant was also conferred with an honorary degree in law from Trinity College Dublin.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 12 July 1968. A section of the footage shown here is mute.
