The UN: From 'Benevolent' Imperialist to Vehicle for Decolonisation

Abstract

This thesis explores how Ethiopian and Liberian advocacy at the United Nations General Assembly and the International Court of Justice during the South West Africa dispute, from 1945 to 1974, reflected the development of Pan-African solidarity in Africa and how this advocacy influenced international relations. Extensive scholarship has examined the impact of the dispute, particularly how Ethiopia and Liberia’s weak legal strategy during the ICJ Case against South Africa prevented a favourable judgement, consequently slowing the achievement of justice for South West Africa. However, Ethiopia and Liberia’s agencies, and how they directly coordinated this with other African states, have largely been overlooked. Examining Ethiopian and Liberian advocacy through a norm framework reveals how they could claim and manifest agency at the UN. The multifaceted question will answer not only how Ethiopia and Liberia shaped and interacted with regional politics – pan-African solidarity – but also it will demonstrate how it shaped international relations, namely how the UN approached questions of colonialism and racial discrimination. This thesis argues that, although at different paces, Ethiopia and Liberia piloted the means employed against SA at the UN away from ‘figurative’ resolutions and condemnation to concrete action.