October 5th, 1956
Secretary General Supports Closed Canal Consultations
United Nations
Dag Hammarskjold supported diplomatic contacts as the Security Council considered the dispute over Egypt's nationalization of the Suez Canal.
World History Database / Suez War / Those involved
Dag Hammarskjold
Sweden
Secretary General of United Nations
61 archival records
October 5th, 1956
UN Canal Debate Includes Users Interests
United Nations
Dag Hammarskjold oversaw diplomatic contacts in which the interests of canal users remained central to discussion of a negotiated settlement.
October 9th, 1956
Private Ministerial Consultations Explore Compromise
United Nations
Dag Hammarskjold facilitated confidential conversations among the Egyptian, British, and French foreign ministers to identify common ground.
October 9th, 1956
Secretary General Facilitates Private Canal Talks
United Nations
Dag Hammarskjold promoted confidential discussions among the foreign ministers to narrow their differences before the Security Council decided the canal question.
October 11th, 1956
Mediation Separates Principles From Implementation
United Nations
Dag Hammarskjold sought agreement on broad principles even though the parties remained divided over the machinery for operating the canal.
October 12th, 1956
Canal User Consultation on Tolls Proposed
United Nations
Dag Hammarskjold's six-principle formulation required tolls and charges to be determined by agreement between Egypt and canal users.
October 12th, 1956
Six Canal Principles Presented to Security Council
United Nations
Dag Hammarskjold set out six proposed requirements for a negotiated canal settlement before the Security Council.
October 12th, 1956
User Agreement on Canal Tolls Enters Formula
United Nations
Dag Hammarskjold presented a settlement principle requiring Egypt and canal users to agree on how tolls and charges should be fixed.
October 13th, 1956
Consensus Survives Dispute Over Implementation
United Nations
Dag Hammarskjold secured agreement on general requirements while a wider proposed resolution on the means of implementation failed to pass.
October 13th, 1956
Development Share Included in Six Principles
United Nations
Dag Hammarskjold's compromise formula, adopted by the Council, required that a fair proportion of canal dues be used for development.
October 13th, 1956
Resolution 118 Establishes Negotiation Framework
United Nations
The Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 118, recognizing six principles intended to guide a peaceful settlement of the Suez Canal dispute.
October 13th, 1956
Security Council Unanimously Adopts Resolution One Eighteen
United Nations
Dag Hammarskjold witnessed the unanimous adoption of Security Council Resolution 118, which endorsed the six principles for resolving the Suez question.
October 13th, 1956
UN Recognizes Six Canal Settlement Requirements
United Nations
The Security Council adopted six shared principles on the canal, providing Dag Hammarskjold with a diplomatic framework for further mediation.
October 30th, 1956
UN Agenda Expands Beyond Egypt Emergency
United Nations
The United Nations confronted both the rapidly worsening Suez war and international concern over events in Hungary.
October 30th, 1956
United Nations Confronts Sudden Canal Deadline
London
Dag Hammarskjold's organization faced an immediate emergency when the two European powers threatened force unless Egypt accepted their demands.
October 31st, 1956
Council Deadlock Spurs Emergency Assembly Referral
United Nations
The failure of the permanent members to agree prompted the Security Council to transfer urgent consideration of the fighting to the General Assembly.
October 31st, 1956
Procedural Vote Bypasses Permanent Member Obstruction
United Nations
Because a procedural decision was not subject to a permanent member veto, the Council referred the crisis to the wider membership.
October 31st, 1956
Security Council Deadlock Delays Ceasefire Action
United Nations
British and French vetoes prevented the Security Council from adopting substantive demands to stop hostilities in Egypt.
October 31st, 1956
UN Charter Procedures Redirect Blocked Suez Debate
United Nations
The Security Council referred the conflict to the General Assembly after vetoes prevented agreement on immediate action concerning Egypt.
November 1st, 1956
Assembly Takes Up Ultimatum Related Hostilities
London
The United Nations General Assembly convened urgently after Security Council deadlock over the conflict triggered by the Israeli invasion and ultimatum.
November 1st, 1956
First Emergency Session Opens After Council Referral
United Nations
The General Assembly met in its first emergency special session to consider the fighting in Egypt after Security Council intervention stalled.
November 1st, 1956
United Nations Confronts Overlapping Emergencies
United Nations
Dag Hammarskjold's organization faced a severe strain as the Suez emergency and the Hungarian uprising required urgent international attention.
November 2nd, 1956
Assembly Resolution 997 Calls for Fighting to Stop
United Nations
The General Assembly demanded an immediate ceasefire and withdrawal of troops from territory occupied during the Suez conflict.
November 2nd, 1956
General Assembly Calls for Immediate Ceasefire
United Nations
The General Assembly adopted Resolution 997 demanding a cessation of hostilities and withdrawal to the relevant armistice lines.
November 3rd, 1956
Assembly Requests Plan for Emergency Peacekeepers
United Nations
The General Assembly asked the Secretary General to prepare a proposal for an emergency international force responding to the conflict.
November 4th, 1956
General Assembly Establishes Emergency Force
United Nations
The General Assembly endorsed creation of the United Nations Emergency Force to assist in stopping the fighting in Egypt.
November 4th, 1956
Hungarian Emergency Referral Follows Suez Precedent
United Nations
The Security Council again invoked the emergency special session procedure, this time in response to Soviet military action in Hungary.
November 4th, 1956
Secretary General Presents UNEF Organization Plan
United Nations
Dag Hammarskjold prepared operational arrangements for an emergency force intended to supervise a cessation of hostilities.
November 4th, 1956
Security Council Refers Hungarian Crisis to Assembly
United Nations
The Security Council adopted Resolution 120 authorizing an emergency Assembly session on Hungary after Soviet opposition blocked substantive action.
November 4th, 1956
UNEF Plan Prepared within Forty-Eight Hours
United Nations
Hammarskjold prepares the organisational plan for the first United Nations Emergency Force.
November 4th, 1956
United Nations Authorizes Emergency Peacekeeping Concept
United Nations
The Assembly endorsed development of a neutral force to assist in supervising the ceasefire and withdrawal of combatants.
November 4th, 1956
United Nations Considers Navigation Emergency Consequences
Suez Canal
The international response to the fighting increasingly had to address both withdrawal of troops and restoration of canal traffic.
November 5th, 1956
UN General Assembly Debates Two Armed Interventions
United Nations
The international organization faced separate emergency deliberations over the Hungarian revolt and the continued Anglo French campaign in Egypt.
November 5th, 1956
UN Selects Initial Emergency Force Commander
United Nations
The United Nations established an initial command arrangement for the emergency force that would operate with host state consent.
November 6th, 1956
Secretary General Outlines Peacekeeping Ground Rules
United Nations
Dag Hammarskjold explained the operational limits of an impartial force that would not become a belligerent or impose itself without consent.
November 6th, 1956
UNEF Guiding Principles Submitted
United Nations
Hammarskjold submits guiding principles governing the organisation and deployment of UNEF.
November 7th, 1956
Council Role Gives Way to Assembly Peacekeeping
United Nations
With the Security Council divided, the General Assembly's decisions on ceasefire and emergency peacekeeping became the principal United Nations response.
November 7th, 1956
UNEF Mandate Receives Further Assembly Approval
United Nations
The General Assembly supported guiding principles for the new emergency force as it sought to stabilize the ceasefire.
November 7th, 1956
UNEF Operating Principles Support Ceasefire
United Nations
The United Nations approved arrangements for a neutral force to monitor the end of combat without replacing Egyptian sovereignty.
November 12th, 1956
Peacekeeping Headquarters Established in Cairo
United Nations
United Nations officials established a temporary base in Cairo to coordinate the emergency force's arrival and communications.
November 12th, 1956
UN Plans Replacement of Foreign Troops
Port Said
Dag Hammarskjold prepared for United Nations emergency troops to take positions as British and French units left the city.
November 12th, 1956
UN Works Toward International Salvage Arrangements
Suez Canal
The Secretary General's staff explored how to organize clearance without compromising Egypt's sovereignty over its canal.
November 16th, 1956
UN Chief Meets Egyptian Leaders About Deployment
United Nations
Dag Hammarskjold held discussions in Cairo on the relationship between Egyptian authorities and the emergency force.
November 18th, 1956
Egyptian Consent Establishes Truce Monitoring Basis
United Nations
The United Nations and Egypt agreed that peacekeeping activities would operate by consent and within a defined mandate.
November 20th, 1956
Canal Clearance Authority Requested
United Nations
Hammarskjold asks the General Assembly for authority to negotiate arrangements for clearing the canal.
November 20th, 1956
Secretary General Requests Clearance Negotiation Authority
Suez Canal
Dag Hammarskjold sought international authorization to negotiate the clearance of sunken vessels and other obstructions.
November 21st, 1956
UNEF Enters Port Said
Port Said
Hammarskjold's emergency force begins moving into Port Said as withdrawal arrangements advance.
November 24th, 1956
Assembly Renews Demand for Prompt Allied Withdrawal
United Nations
The General Assembly maintained pressure for the removal of invading forces while arrangements for peacekeeping and evacuation continued.
November 27th, 1956
Canal Salvage Becomes United Nations Priority
Suez Canal
The United Nations addressed the engineering and financing requirements of restoring transit after the conflict.
November 30th, 1956
UN Coordinates Security During Partial Handover
Port Said
United Nations staff arranged supervision of ceasefire lines and local security tasks while foreign troops still occupied parts of Port Said.
December 3rd, 1956
UN Diplomacy Presses for Allied Evacuation
United Nations
United Nations negotiations helped convert the general ceasefire requirement into practical arrangements for British and French withdrawal.
December 5th, 1956
International Funding for Salvage Under Discussion
Suez Canal
United Nations officials examined means of financing and coordinating the extensive work required to clear the waterway.
December 15th, 1956
Canal Clearance Planning Advances at UN
Suez Canal
The United Nations developed arrangements for salvage work once military occupation and local security problems were reduced.
December 22nd, 1956
Allied Withdrawal Consolidates Egyptian Ceasefire
United Nations
Britain and France completed their evacuation from Port Said, removing a major source of continuing military tension.
December 22nd, 1956
Port Said Transfer to UNEF Supervised
Port Said
Hammarskjold oversees the transition as Anglo-French forces leave and UNEF assumes temporary control.
December 22nd, 1956
United Nations Oversees End of Allied Occupation
United Nations
The British and French departure from Port Said left United Nations peacekeepers supporting the transition to Egyptian control.
December 27th, 1956
United Nations Coordinates Canal Salvage Effort
Suez Canal
United Nations backed operations began clearing the obstructions left by the war as international authorities cooperated with Egypt.
February 15th, 1957
Salvage Crews Continue Clearing Navigational Channel
Suez Canal
International clearance operations progressively removed ships and debris while surveying damage to the canal route.
March 7th, 1957
UNEF Helps Stabilize Israeli Withdrawal Area
United Nations
United Nations personnel deployed into areas evacuated by Israeli troops as the withdrawal from Sinai and Gaza was completed.
March 31st, 1957
Final Canal Clearance Stage Approaches Completion
Suez Canal
International salvage work had reopened much of the obstructed route and prepared the waterway for a return to commercial operation.
April 8th, 1957
UN Assists Conditions for Canal Reopening
United Nations
United Nations efforts to supervise the aftermath of the crisis complemented clearance operations that enabled the Suez Canal to reopen to shipping.