库尔特•瓦尔德海姆被任命为联合国秘书长，从1972年1月1日起，任期五年。安全理事会于1971年12月21日推荐，次日，联合国大会以鼓掌方式批准这项任命。
这位秘书长于1918年12月21日出生于奥地利维也纳附近的圣安德烈沃尔登。他于1944年毕业于维也纳大学，获法学博士学位。他还是维也纳领事学院的毕业生。
瓦尔德海姆先生于1945年参加奥地利的外交工作，1948年至1951年担任驻巴黎公使馆一等秘书。他于1951年至1955年在维也纳担任外交部人事司司长。1955年，他被任命为奥地利常驻联合国观察员，同年稍后，奥地利加入联合国，他担任奥地利代表团团长。
1956年至1960年，瓦尔德海姆先生担任奥地利驻加拿大的代表，初任全权公使，后升任大使。1960年至1962年，他担任奥地利外交部政治司(西方)司长，后来改任政治事务局长，直至1964年6月。
1964年至1968年，瓦尔德海姆先生担任奥地利常驻联合国代表。在这一期间，他曾担任和平利用外层空间委员会主席；1968年，他当选为第一次联合国探索及和平利用外层空间会议主席。
1968年1月至1970年4月，瓦尔德海姆先生担任奥地利联邦外交部长。离开政府后，他被一致推选为国际原子能机构保障委员会主席；1970年10月，他再次成为奥地利常驻联合国代表，担任此职直至当选为联合国秘书长。1971年4月，他是竞选奥地利联邦总统的两位候选人之一。
瓦尔德海姆先生在担任秘书长的头三年，经常访问联合国特别关切的地区。1972年3月，他根据安全理事会赋予他的任务，前往南非和纳米比亚协助寻找纳米比亚问题的圆满解决办法。
1972年6月、1973年8月和1974年8月，秘书长三次访问塞浦路斯，同政府领导人进行讨论并视察驻在该岛的联合国维持和平部队。1974年8月刚刚发生过敌对行为，在这次访问期间，瓦尔德海姆先生安排代理总统格拉夫科斯•克莱里季斯和拉乌夫•登克塔什开始会谈。
秘书长也屡次前往中东，继续寻求该区域的和平。1973年8月，他访问叙利亚、黎巴嫩、以色列、埃及和约旦；1974年6月，他会见黎巴嫩、叙利亚、以色列、约旦和埃及的领导人；1974年11月，他为了延长联合国脱离接触观察员部队(观察员部队)的任务期限，前往叙利亚、以色列和埃及。在这些访问中，他也视察了联合国在该区域的各项维持和平行动——联合国停战监督组织(停战监督组织)、联合国紧急部队(紧急部队)和观察员部队。
1973年2月，他在正式访问南亚次大陆期间，同印度、巴基斯坦和孟加拉国的政府讨论印度和巴基斯坦之间战争所造成的问题，以及克服战争后果的方法和途径。他还视察联合国孟加拉国救济行动，这是在联合国主持下规模最大一项救济行动。
1974年2、3月间，秘书长访问了非洲苏丹——萨赫勒地区的一些国家，当时联合国在该地区展开一项重大的救济行动，援助长期旱灾的灾民。
秘书长还主持联合国召开的许多重要国际会议的开幕式，并在会议上致词。其中包括第三届联合国贸易和发展会议(1972年4月，圣地亚哥)、联合国人类环境会议(1972年6月，斯德哥尔摩)、第三次联合国海洋法会议(1974年6月，加拉加斯)、世界人口会议(1974年8月，布加勒斯特)和世界粮食会议(1974年11月，罗马)。
秘书长参加安全理事会离开总部到非洲(1972年1月，亚的斯亚贝巴)和拉丁美洲(1973年3月，巴拿马)举行的会议。
他曾出席非洲统一组织(非统组织)在拉巴特(1972年6月，非统组织十周年纪念)、亚的斯亚贝巴(1973年5月)和摩加迪沙(1974年6月)举行的会议，并在会上致词。他也曾在华盛顿向美洲国家组织(美洲组织)讲话(1972年3月)。
1973年2月，秘书长参加巴黎的越南问题国际会议；同年12月，他主持日内瓦中东和平会议的第一阶段。
1973年7月，瓦尔德海姆先生在赫尔辛基向欧洲安全和合作会议讲话。
秘书长曾应个别政府的邀请，正式访问非洲、亚洲、拉丁美洲、中东和欧洲的若干国家。
瓦尔德海姆先生已婚，有子女三人；他著有《奥地利的榜样》，是一本关于奥地利外交政策的书，已发行德文版、英文版和法文版。
瓦尔德海姆先生于2007年6月14日在奥地利维也纳逝世，享年88岁。
Kurt Waldheim was appointed Secretary-General of the United Nations for a five-year term beginning on 1 January 1972. The Security Council had recommended the appointment on 21 December 1971 and the General Assembly approved it by acclamation on the following day.
The Secretary-General was born at Sankt Andra-Wordern, nearVienna,Austria, on 21 December 1918. He graduated from theUniversityofViennaas a Doctor of Jurisprudence in 1944. He is also a graduate of theViennaConsularAcademy.
Mr. Waldheim joined the Austrian diplomatic service in 1945, and from 1948 to 1951 he served as First Secretary of the Legation inParis. He was head of the personnel department of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Vienna from 1951 to 1955 In 1955 he was appointed Permanent Observer for Austria to the United Nations and later that year became head of the Austrian Mission when Austria was admitted to the Organization.
From 1956 to 1960, Mr. Waldheim representedAustriainCanada, first as Minister Plenipotentiary and later as Ambassador. From 1960 to 1962 he was head of the Political Department (West) in the Austrian Ministry for Foreign Affairs, subsequently becoming Director-General for Political Affairs until June 1964.
From 1964 to 1968, Mr. Waldheim was Permanent Representative ofAustriato the United Nations. During that period he was Chairman of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space; in 1968 he was elected President of the first United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.
From January 1968 to April 1970, Mr. Waldheim was Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Austria. After leaving the Government, he was unanimously elected Chairman of the Safeguards Committee of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and in October 1970 he again became the Austrian Permanent Representative to the United Nations, a post he held until he was elected Secretary-General of the Organization.
In April 1971, he was one of the two candidates for the Federal Presidency of Austria.
During his first three years as Secretary-General, Mr. Waldheim made it a practice to visit areas of special concern to the United Nations. In March 1972 he travelled toSouth AfricaandNamibiain pursuance of a mandate given him by the Security Council in order to assist in finding a satisfactory solution for the problem ofNamibia.
The Secretary-General paid three visits toCyprus, in June 1972, August 1973 and August 1974, for discussions with government leaders and to inspect the United Nations Peace-keeping Force in the island. During his visit in August 1974, in the wake of the hostilities, Mr. Waldheim arranged for talks to begin between Acting President GlafcosClerides and RaufDenktash.
The Secretary-General also made a number of trips to theMiddle Eastin the continuing search for peace in the area. In August 1973 he visitedSyria,Lebanon,Israel,EgyptandJordan; in June 1974 he met with the leaders ofLebanon,Syria,Israel,JordanandEgypt; and in November 1974 he went toSyria,IsraelandEgyptin connection with the extension of the mandate of United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF). On these visits he also inspected the United Nations peace-keeping operations in the area - the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), the United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF) and UNDOF.
In February 1973, during an official trip to the subcontinent, the Secretary-General discussed with the Governments of India,PakistanandBangladeshthe problems created by the war betweenIndiaandPakistanand ways and means to overcome its consequences. He also inspected the United Nations Relief Operation inBangladesh, the largest relief operation ever undertaken under United Nations auspices.
In February and March 1974, the Secretary-General visited a number of countries in the Sudano-Sahelian area ofAfricawhere the United Nations had undertaken a major relief operation to assist the victims of a prolonged drought.
The Secretary-General also opened and addressed a number of major international conferences convened under United Nations auspices. These include the third session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Santiago, April 1972), the United Nati, , , ons Conference on the Human Environment (Stockholm, June 1972), the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (Caracas, June 1974), the World Population Conference (Bucharest, August 1974) and the World Food Conference (Rome, November 1974).
The Secretary-General participated in Security Council meetings held away from Headquarters, in Africa (Addis Ababa, January 1972) and inLatin America(Panama, March 1973).
He addressed and attended meetings of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) inRabat(June 1972 on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the OAU, inAddis Ababa(May 1973) and in Mogadiscio (June 1974). He also addressed the Organization of American States (OAS) inWashington(March 1972).
In February 1973, the Secretary-General took part in the Paris International Conference on Viet-Nam; in December of the same year he presided over the first phase of the Geneva Peace Conference on theMiddle East.
In July 1973, Mr. Waldheim addressed the Conference on European Security and Co-operation inHelsinki.
On the invitation of their respective Governments, the Secretary-General paid official visits to a number of countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East andEurope.
Married and the father of three children, Mr. Waldheim is the author of a work onAustria's foreign policy, The Austrian Example, which has been published in German,English and French.
Mr. Waldheim died on 14 June 2007 inVienna,Austria, at the age of 88.
