Starcke Sculpture, UN Headquarters, New York - Philatelic Photographs on Waymarking.com

Of the six main organs of the United Nations, five are located at UN Headquarters in New York. Three of these organs (the Security Council, the Trusteeship Council and the Economic and Social Council) have their own dedicated chambers in the conference building facing the East River. These three dedicated chambers were financed, designed and furnished by three Scandinavian countries: Norway, Denmark and Sweden. The Trusteeship Council’s chamber was a gift from Denmark, designed by Danish architect Finn Juhl in 1952. Part of the décor was a 9½ ft tall statue of a girl and a bird carved from teak wood by Danish sculptor Henrik Starcke. Though unnamed, it is said to represent Mankind and Hope.

In the aftermath of World War II, eleven former colonies and Mandates became trust territories of the newly formed United Nations. Most of these were located in Africa or the South Pacific. The purpose of the Trusteeship Council was to oversee the transition of these territories into independent nations or a part of another nation if so desired. With such a specific goal, the Trusteeship Council was, in the words of the UN’s first secretary general, Trygve Lie, working towards its own demise. When this stamp was issued in 1968, the Trusteeship Council had a lot on its plate, but in 1994, when the last trust territory (Palau) became independent, the Trusteeship Council suspended its activities.

In the twenty-first century, the UN’s Trusteeship Council may seem like a solution looking for a problem since, on paper, it still exists and occasionally meets. It’s been suggested that the Trusteeship Council be used to unburden the Security Council of some of its activities. In any event, the Trusteeship Council chamber was completely renovated in 2013 and is included on the guided tour of UN Headquarters in New York.

Stamp Issuing Country: United Nations (New York) Date of Issue: 16-Jan-1968 Denomination: 75c Color: multicolored Stamp Type: Single Stamp Relevant Web Site: [Web Link]

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Date Logged Log User Rating   08/02/2023 jasperdakota visited it