Jarring Mission

views updated

JARRING MISSION

A United Nations-sponsored mission to negotiate an Arab-Israel peace settlement. In November 1967, UN Secretary-General U Thant appointed Gunnar Jarring, a Swedish diplomat who had served as Sweden's ambassador to the United Nations (1956–1958) and ambassador to the United States (1958–1964), as special envoy to promote a peace settlement based on UN Security Council Resolution 242. Jarring began his mission in 1968, but the parties demonstrated little interest in his initiatives. His mission was suspended when UN representatives of the countries began direct talks, then resumed briefly in 1970, after the August cease-fire agreement between Israel and Egypt ended the war of attrition along the Suez Canal. It was again suspended because of Egyptian violations of that agreement, then resumed again in December 1970. In February 1971, Jarring presented proposals to Israel and Egypt, but no agreement could be reached. The mission lapsed, though it was not formally ended until 1990.

SEE ALSO Resolution 242.

About this article

Jarring Mission

Updated About encyclopedia.com content Print Article