VÁCLAV KOSTELECKÝ (1913 – 1982) Czech economist and distinguished Senior Executive United Nations Organisation Date and place of birth 15 November 1913 in Dolní Březinka, district of Ledeč nad Sázavou, Bohemia, Austro-Hungarian Empire (future Republic of Czechoslovakia) Date and place of death 4 February 1982 in Founex, Switzerland Title Special Assistant to the Executive Secretary to the Commission, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), G​ eneva, Switzerland Education & Degree 1928-1932 Obchodní akademie (Business College), First Class Honours Graduate, Kolín, Czechoslovakia 1932-1936 Vysoká ​š​kola ​o​bchodní ​(​Graduate Business Studies), Prague, Czechoslovakia Směr hospodářsko-politický (Economics Policy), Prague 1936 Komerční ​Ing. (Master’s Degree), First Class Honours - ​P​ rize ​f​or Best Student of his Year (studied under Professor Josef Macek) 1945 Awarded Scholarship for Graduate Studies in Economics in the United Kingdom - g​ranted by the British Council 1945 -1946 University of North Wales, University of Leeds (Graduate studies in Economics), United Kingdom Positions Held 1936-1938 Lieutenant,​ Military Service 1938-1939 Assistant to Professor Josef Macek,​ V​ysoké ​š​kola ​o​bchodní ​(Graduate Business Studies), Prague 1940-1945 Deputy Secretary General,​ ​E​conomic Group of the Czechoslovak Textile and Clothing Industry, Prague - ​Responsible for the establishment of the For further information, please contact: ​U​NOG - United Nations Office at Geneva: w​ ww.unog.ch/archives 1 Group’s organisation and administration in Bohemia and Moravia, Václav Kostelecký actively defended the interests of Czech firms and Czech employees throughout the occupation 1945 Secretary General,​ ​E​conomic Group of the Czechoslovak Textile and Clothing Industry, Prague -​ Appointed by Bohumil Laušman Minister of Industry of Czechoslovakia in recognition of his outstanding honourable service during the occupation 1947 Researcher,​ Social and Economic Research Institute of Czechoslovak Trade Unions, Prague 1947-1948 Chief Regional Representative for Europe,​ United Nations Appeal for Children (UNAC), Prague - A​ ppointed by Aake Ording Director of UNAC,​ recommended by Jan Masaryk Foreign Minister of Czechoslovakia for post Václav Kostelecký successfully negotiated with countries of his Region to establish National Committees and advised them on the organisation of their national campaigns until the termination of the Appeal 1948 Transfer to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) in Geneva, Switzerland ​- appointed by Gunnar Myrdal Executive Secretary as his Personal Assistant 1948-1976 Special Assistant to the Executive Secretary,​ United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), Geneva, Switzerland During his 29 years with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Václav Kostelecký served four consecutive Executive Secretaries (1947-1957 Gunnar Myrdal; 1957-1960 Sakari Tuomioja; 1960-1967 Vladimir Velebit; 1968-1976 Janez Stanovnik). Václav Kostelecký assisted and advised them on all policy, management, legal and constitutional questions; had special responsibilities in the field of Energy, Industry and Operational Statistics, and for supervisory and administrative matters, supervised all external relations; carried out many missions to Governments both with the Executive Secretaries and alone; and represented UNECE at International Fora. Václav Kostelecký rose in rank from Economics Affairs Officer in 1948, through First Officer in 1951, Senior Officer in 1961, to Principal Officer – Director in 1969. 1962-1976 Secretary of the Commission From 1962 until 1976 he was designated Secretary to the Commission, responsible for the preparation, documentation and servicing of the annual Commission Sessions and for supervision of the steps taken both by the Commission’s Principal For further information, please contact: ​U​NOG - United Nations Office at Geneva: w​ ww.unog.ch/archives 2 Subsidiary Bodies and by the Secretariat as a whole to give effect to the Commission’s decisions. In this role, he commanded the universal respect and appreciation of all Member Governments irrespective of their ideological or political differences, and was also noted for his mastery of conference diplomacy. All four Executive Secretaries put on written record their high esteem for Václav Kostelecký’s outstanding abilities, integrity, dedication, knowledge, judgement, tact and energy, and considered him to be invaluable both to themselves and to the UNECE as a whole, a mainstay of the Organisation, and an example to the younger generations. Václav Kostelecký was informally known as the ‘Walking Encyclopaedia’ by all his Colleagues and Staff. 1973 Reached United Nations regulation retirement age of 60 years,​ extended through 1974, 1975, 1976 1977 Commenced Research with Gunnar Myrdal ​for “A History of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe” 1978 United Nations Consultant ​for the Official Biography of UNECE “Three Decades of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe” (E/ECE/962) 1979 United Nations Consultant/Advisor t​o the Director, Industry Division, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe 1979 United Nations Seminar Leader,​ entitled “Practical Problems of Programme Management in International Organisations” Portrait: Václav Kostelecký spoke, read and wrote eight languages. He attended school at the time when the first President of Czechoslovakia T​omáš ​Masayrk implemented the modern education system, and by the time he was 12 he had learned Czech, German and English, followed by Bulgarian, Serbo-Croat, Slovenian, Russian, and French and later in life, Italian. Profoundly dedicated to the ideals and aims of the United Nations, Václav Kostelecký believed in the fundamental importance of a truly independent international civil service and in the necessity of its strict adherence to the standards of integrity set out in the United Nations Charter. He devoted his professional life to all-European co-operation and to what he considered to be the ultimate criterion of all international cooperation: the usefulness for people in their day-to-day life of the practical results obtained. For further information, please contact: ​U​NOG - United Nations Office at Geneva: w​ ww.unog.ch/archives 3 Among the personalities whom he regarded as examples, Professor Josef Macek and Professor Gunnar Myrdal were the two he most revered, with whom he retained lifelong friendships. Václav Kostelecký was a connoisseur of modern art, a keen amateur photographer, skier and mountaineer, attaining many major European peaks including the Mont Blanc, which he climbed with his skis on his back for a memorable ski expedition in 1955. In 1978 he organised in Geneva an exhibition of photographs by Josef Sudek, covering his 30 year friendship with the artist. Václav Kostelecký’s friendship with Josef Sudek dated from his early days as a student at Charles University Graduate Business School (1932-1936) when he became part of Sudek’s circle of artists, poets, writers and intellectuals. On his retirement, in 1977 Václav Kostelecký commenced the research required for the “History of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe”, working closely with Gunnar Myrdal. At the end of 1981, having assembled the major material and recorded interviews, he began the write-up. Václav Kostelecký died suddenly on 4​th ​February 1982. The chapters he had drafted were published posthumously in 1989 under the title “The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe: The beginning of a History”. Václav Kostelecký was a Czech who loved his country. After his Czechoslovak passport was witheld by the communist Government in Prague in 1952, Václav Kostelecký wished to remain Czechoslovak and not take on another nationality. Thus, until his death, he travelled professionally and privately with a United Nations ‘Laissez-Passer’ granted by the General Secretary of the United Nations., Václav Kostelecký always declared ‘I am born a Czech and I will die a Czech’. Bibliography Anglický oděvní průmysl: zpráva o jeho situaci po druhé světové válce v roce 1945-46 (T​he English Clothing Industry: A Report on the Situation after the Second World War in 1945-46)​, published by Textilní ústav československý, Prague, 1947 Znárodňování a plánování v Anglii ​(​N​ ationalization and Planning in England)​, published by Česká společnost národohospodářská, Prague, 1947 Experimentální funkce československého znárodnění, In: O naši sociální politiku ​(The Experimental Function of Czechoslovak Nationalization, Anthology : About Our Social Politics),​ published by Spolek komerčních inženýrů, Prague, 1947, s 52-72 Numerous publications, articles, papers, lectures, conferences ​on behalf of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), from 1948 to 1979 For further information, please contact: ​U​NOG - United Nations Office at Geneva: w​ ww.unog.ch/archives 4 The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe: The beginning of a History (posthumous), published by Graphic Systems AB, Goteborg, 1989 Personal life 1952 Married to Enid Ethelwyn Rowe (British) who died in 2012; survived by two children, one son and one daughter. For further information, please contact: ​U​NOG - United Nations Office at Geneva: w​ ww.unog.ch/archives 5 .