Mongi Slim
Encyclopedia
Mongi Slim (September 1, 1908 October 23, 1969) was a twice jailed Tunisia
n diplomat
who became the first African to become the President of the United Nations General Assembly
in 1961. He received a degree from the faculty of law of the University of Paris
.
of Tunisia from 1955 to 1956. In 1956 he became Tunisia's ambassador
to the United States, Canada and the United Nations
. He became involved in a special United Nations Committee on the problem of Hungary and served as a delegate to the United Nations Security Council. He relinquished his posts as ambassador to the United States and Canada in 1961 when he was unanimously elected president of the United Nations General Assembly
after a plane crash that killed U.N. Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld
. Slim made the cover of Time
magazine in late September of that year. He served in that position until 1962 when he left the UN and became Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tunisia. He served in that position until 1964.
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
n diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
who became the first African to become the President of the United Nations General Assembly
President of the United Nations General Assembly
The President of the United Nations General Assembly is a position voted for by representatives in the United Nations General Assembly on a yearly basis.- Election :...
in 1961. He received a degree from the faculty of law of the University of Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
.
Early years
Assembly President Mongi Slim Family. Born September 15, 1908, in Tunis, Mongi Slim is an improbable cross-breed of Mediterranean civilizations: Greek, Turkish and Arab. One great-grandfather, a Greek named Kafkalas, was captured as a boy by pirates, sold as a mameluke (white slave) to the Bey of Tunis, who educated him, freed him, made him his minister of defense. His paternal grandfather was an aristocratic Caid who ruled the wealthy province of Cape Bon. His mother was a member of the Beyrums, a noble Turkish family which had risen to prominence in Tunis, was famous throughout the Arab world for its learnedness in Moslem law.Political career
In 1936, Slim became involved in organizations advocating Tunisia's independence from France. In 1954, he became the chief Tunisian negotiator in discussions with France on independence. In this position, he helped draft protocols which secured Tunisia's independence in 1956. Slim served as an interior ministerInterior minister
An interior ministry is a government ministry typically responsible for policing, national security, and immigration matters. The ministry is often headed by a minister of the interior or minister of home affairs...
of Tunisia from 1955 to 1956. In 1956 he became Tunisia's ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to the United States, Canada and the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
. He became involved in a special United Nations Committee on the problem of Hungary and served as a delegate to the United Nations Security Council. He relinquished his posts as ambassador to the United States and Canada in 1961 when he was unanimously elected president of the United Nations General Assembly
United Nations General Assembly
For two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
after a plane crash that killed U.N. Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld
Dag Hammarskjöld
Dag Hjalmar Agne Carl Hammarskjöld was a Swedish diplomat, economist, and author. An early Secretary-General of the United Nations, he served from April 1953 until his death in a plane crash in September 1961. He is the only person to have been awarded a posthumous Nobel Peace Prize. Hammarskjöld...
. Slim made the cover of Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine in late September of that year. He served in that position until 1962 when he left the UN and became Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tunisia. He served in that position until 1964.