Y. El-Ayouty – författare

As an emerging Continent, with a rich past, dynamic present and promising future, Africa has an important role to play in the develop­ ment of international organization. Well before Africa Year, 1960, when several African States attained their independence and their rightful place in the community of nations, the various movements for unity and co-operation strove towards the creation of regional international organization. Now more than ever before, nearly two scores of African States, members of the United Nations, the Organization of African Unity and several other sub-regional organizations and arrangements, look upon international organization as an important means for safeguard­ ing their independence, enhancing African identity, forging collabor­ ative bonds amongst themselves and with the outside world, and rais­ ing the standard of living for their populations. It should also be noted that the age of science and technology which is, and should be, based on international co-operation, stimulates fur­ ther Africa's desire to strengthen and work through international inter­ governmental organizations. As Africa faces the I970's, confronting the core problems of colonial­ ism and apartheid in its southern parts, she looks upon the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity as the main vehicles for thought and action. For these considerations, the present book resulting from the St.

When the United Nations' Charter was signed in San Francisco in 1945, the number of African member states of the Organisation was only 4. By the end of 1960 it had risen to 22. Today it is 41. How has this come about? The answer is given in this valuable book by Dr. Yassin EI-Ayouty. The handful of Asian and African countries who had the privilege of foundation membership made it their business to see to it that their brethren who were still under the colonial yoke attained their freedom and independence as soon as possible and, in the meanwhile, that they were treated with decency and fairness by their colonial masters. It was a tough assignment. The struggle was long, requiring a great deal of patience and endurance. It was at times fierce, requiring much dogged resolution. It also called for the deployment of intellectual agility ofthe highest order. Fortunately all these qualities were available in the rep­ resentatives of Asia and Africa who led the great struggle. These dis­ tinguished delegates also demonstrated a wonderful degree of solidarity which has, happily, become an Afro-Asian tradition at the United Nations. The battle began even before the Organisation had itself become a fact. It would have been a more difficult struggle, had there been no provision in the Charter at all in respect of colonies, by whatever name called.

As an emerging Continent, with a rich past, dynamic present and promising future, Africa has an important role to play in the develop­ ment of international organization. Well before Africa Year, 1960, when several African States attained their independence and their rightful place in the community of nations, the various movements for unity and co-operation strove towards the creation of regional international organization. Now more than ever before, nearly two scores of African States, members of the United Nations, the Organization of African Unity and several other sub-regional organizations and arrangements, look upon international organization as an important means for safeguard­ ing their independence, enhancing African identity, forging collabor­ ative bonds amongst themselves and with the outside world, and rais­ ing the standard of living for their populations. It should also be noted that the age of science and technology which is, and should be, based on international co-operation, stimulates fur­ ther Africa''s desire to strengthen and work through international inter­ governmental organizations. As Africa faces the I970''s, confronting the core problems of colonial­ ism and apartheid in its southern parts, she looks upon the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity as the main vehicles for thought and action. For these considerations, the present book resulting from the St.