Ralph Bunche and the Age of Decolonization
Abstract
Decolonization was the most significant and unexpected political revolution of the 20th century. The UN was both an important stage and a crucial actor in this process. Ralph Bunche, the Black American Nobel laureate and Under Secretary-General, played a central role in postwar decolonization, shaping not only the Charter itself through his work at the US State Department, but also the UN’s work on the ground as decolonization gathered pace.