Ambassador Fredrik Vahlquist, President Ivo Josipović, Dean Ivo Šlaus

Namegiving of Dag Hammarskjöld to University College of Diplomacy

High  school of international relations and diplomacy in Zagreb marked the beginning of their third academic year by gaining the name Dag Hammarskjold.   Ambassador Erik Hammarskjöld, who was representing  the Hammarskjöld family on this  occasion presented to the Dean Ivo Šlaus  the documents confirming the right of the University College to be named after Dag Hammarskjöld.

The new name will bring High School an honor of the great Swedish and international diplomacy, the UN Secretary General and Nobel Peace Prize winner Dag Hammarskjold. He died tragically  in a plane crash in the peacekeeping mission in the Congo in September 1961^.. Dag Hammarskjöld is the only Nobel Peace Prize who was awarded posthumously, for his contribution to world peace, U.S. President John Fitzgerald Kennedy said that Dag Hammarskjöld was "the greatest statesmen of the 20th century. "

Celebration of getting a new name was held at the premises of the High School October 27, 0211. in the presence of Croatian President. Ivo Josipović, Dean of the High school of international relations and diplomacy, Academic  Ivo Šlaus, President of the Diplomatic Council of Colleges of international relations and diplomacy, Budimir Lonćar, Hammarskjöld family representatives and representatives of the Embassy of Sweden in the Republic of Croatia. Swedish ambassador Fredrik Vahlquist said in his speech that visions of Dag Hammarskjöld are still very much alive for many people around the world

«I for one, as a teenager in secondary school, was so captured by Dag Hammarskjöld's  famous book "Markings", that was published after his tragic death in Africa in 1961, that I had the little pocket-book bound by a bookbinder. Since then it has been a dear companion for almost 50 years of my life and career spanning three continents.

The fact that Dag Hammarskjöld's work and ideals often connect to the visions and ambitions of young people, and can serve as a challenging inspiration, makes it so completely fitting that his name is given to an institution of learning dedicated to the education of future leaders and diplomats in different fields of international affairs."

Ambassador Budimir Lončar, Chairman of the Board, who took this initiative was one of the  few persons at this ocassion  who actually met Dag Hammarskjöld in New York during the 1950-ies. Ambassador Lončar was serving in New York at the period while Dag Hammarskjöld was General Secretary.   

 "Hammaskjöld was visionar who promoted multilateral diplomacy as a more powerful mechanism of international communication in a world of increasing interdependence. Also, he  strongly defended the autonomy and independence of the UN Organization, the Secretariat staff from the aggressive pretensions of the great powers. Famous is his response to Nikita Khrushchev, when he  demanded his resignation 1960 because the Secretary has become an obstacle to Soviet plans in connection with the conflict in Congo. Hammarskjöld then said:

I have no right to resign because I have the responsibility to all those member states for which the Organization is of decisive importance - a responsibility which overrides all other considerations.  It is not the Soviet Union or indeed any other Big Power who need the United Nations for their protection: it is all others. In this sense, the Organization is first of all their organization (...). I shall remain in my post (...) as a servant of the Organization in the interest of all those other nations, as long as they wish me to do so."