Robert Gillman Allen Jackson
Encyclopedia
Sir Robert Gillman Allen Jackson, AC
, KCVO
, CMG
, OBE
(8 November 1911 – 12 January 1991) was a United Nations
administrator who specialised in technical and logistical assistance to the developing world.
, which his father Archibald Jackson had helped found, but his father's death meant he did not go to university and started his career in the Royal Australian Navy
at 18.
in 1937 and proved his ability in his plans for defending Malta
during the Second World War for which he was awarded an OBE . In 1941, he was appointed principal adviser to Oliver Lyttleton, War Cabinet
minister in Cairo
, and his work with the Middle East Supply Centre encouraging local food production across many countries fostered his diplomatic and administrative skills.
After the war, he was responsible for the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration
(UNRRA) projects in Europe, parts of Africa and the Far East, "the biggest UN relief operation ever". Next he was assistant to Trygve Lie
, first secretary-general of the UN, with whom he had an awkward working relationship, and then returned to the United Kingdom to work at the Treasury
before moving to the Australian Ministry of National Development.
Jackson came to specialise in multiple purpose river development schemes, and his obituary in The Times
said "he was associated with virtually all major undertakings of this kind in the developing world". While working on the Volta
project in Ghana
from 1953 to 1960, he got to know Kwame Nkrumah
. His time in Ghana
led to the awards of Knight Bachelor
in 1956 and Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
in 1962.
From the 1950s onward, he advised the governments of India and Pakistan, and in 1962 he went to the UN as consultant to Paul Hoffman of the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP), advising on technical, logistical and pre-investment aid to developing countries. By 1971, he had helped with UNDP projects in 60 countries.
The "Jackson Report" or "Capacity Study" on UN reform was published in 1969, urging that UN projects should be harmonised with a country's own development plan, and provoking some controversy. Margaret Anstee, another UN administrator, collaborated with him on this report. They became close personally as well as professionally, and their relationship continued until Jackson's death on 12 January 1991.
Jackson's last major operations were co-ordinating relief for Bangladesh
between 1972 and 1975, and assistance for Kampuchea and Kampuchean refugees in Thailand
between 1979 and 1984. He was made a Companion of the Order of Australia in 1986.
He has been called a "master of logistics" with his work in Malta, UNRRA, and Bangladesh given particular praise.
in 1950, after his first marriage had ended. They had a son, Robert, in 1956, but were legally separated in the early 1970s. They were one of the few couples who both held titles in their own right.
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
, KCVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
, CMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
, OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(8 November 1911 – 12 January 1991) was a United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
administrator who specialised in technical and logistical assistance to the developing world.
Early Life
Jackson was born in Melbourne on 8 November 1911. He went to Mentone Grammar SchoolMentone Grammar School
Mentone Grammar School is an independent, Anglican co-educational grammar school in Mentone, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.-History:...
, which his father Archibald Jackson had helped found, but his father's death meant he did not go to university and started his career in the Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
at 18.
Career
He transferred to the Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
in 1937 and proved his ability in his plans for defending Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
during the Second World War for which he was awarded an OBE . In 1941, he was appointed principal adviser to Oliver Lyttleton, War Cabinet
War Cabinet
A War Cabinet is a committee formed by a government in a time of war. It is usually a subset of the full executive cabinet of ministers. It is also quite common for a War Cabinet to have senior military officers and opposition politicians as members....
minister in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, and his work with the Middle East Supply Centre encouraging local food production across many countries fostered his diplomatic and administrative skills.
After the war, he was responsible for the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration
United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration
The United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration was an international relief agency, largely dominated by the United States but representing 44 nations. Founded in 1943, it became part of the United Nations in 1945, was especially active in 1945 and 1946, and largely shut down...
(UNRRA) projects in Europe, parts of Africa and the Far East, "the biggest UN relief operation ever". Next he was assistant to Trygve Lie
Trygve Lie
Trygve Halvdan Lie was a Norwegian politician, labour leader, government official and author. He served as Norwegian Foreign minister during the critical years of the Norwegian government in exile in London from 1940 to 1945. From 1946 to 1952 he was the first Secretary-General of the United...
, first secretary-general of the UN, with whom he had an awkward working relationship, and then returned to the United Kingdom to work at the Treasury
HM Treasury
HM Treasury, in full Her Majesty's Treasury, informally The Treasury, is the United Kingdom government department responsible for developing and executing the British government's public finance policy and economic policy...
before moving to the Australian Ministry of National Development.
Jackson came to specialise in multiple purpose river development schemes, and his obituary in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
said "he was associated with virtually all major undertakings of this kind in the developing world". While working on the Volta
Lake Volta
Lake Volta is the largest reservoir by surface area in the world, and the fourth largest one by water volume. It is located completely within the country of Ghana, and it has a surface area of about 8,502 km² . Lake Volta lies along the Greenwich Meridian, and just six degrees of latitude...
project in Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
from 1953 to 1960, he got to know Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah was the leader of Ghana and its predecessor state, the Gold Coast, from 1952 to 1966. Overseeing the nation's independence from British colonial rule in 1957, Nkrumah was the first President of Ghana and the first Prime Minister of Ghana...
. His time in Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
led to the awards of Knight Bachelor
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
in 1956 and Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
in 1962.
From the 1950s onward, he advised the governments of India and Pakistan, and in 1962 he went to the UN as consultant to Paul Hoffman of the United Nations Development Programme
United Nations Development Programme
The United Nations Development Programme is the United Nations' global development network. It advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP operates in 177 countries, working with nations on their own solutions to...
(UNDP), advising on technical, logistical and pre-investment aid to developing countries. By 1971, he had helped with UNDP projects in 60 countries.
The "Jackson Report" or "Capacity Study" on UN reform was published in 1969, urging that UN projects should be harmonised with a country's own development plan, and provoking some controversy. Margaret Anstee, another UN administrator, collaborated with him on this report. They became close personally as well as professionally, and their relationship continued until Jackson's death on 12 January 1991.
Jackson's last major operations were co-ordinating relief for Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
between 1972 and 1975, and assistance for Kampuchea and Kampuchean refugees in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
between 1979 and 1984. He was made a Companion of the Order of Australia in 1986.
He has been called a "master of logistics" with his work in Malta, UNRRA, and Bangladesh given particular praise.
Personal Life
He married Barbara WardBarbara Ward
Barbara Mary Ward , in later life Baroness Jackson of Lodsworth, was a British economist and writer interested in the problems of developing countries. She urged Western governments to share their prosperity with the rest of the world and in the 1960s turned her attention to environmental...
in 1950, after his first marriage had ended. They had a son, Robert, in 1956, but were legally separated in the early 1970s. They were one of the few couples who both held titles in their own right.
Further reading
- James Gibson, Jacko, Where Are You Now? A life of Robert Jackson: Master of humanitarian relief, the man who saved Malta (Parsons, London 2006) ISBN 0-9553968-0-8
- Robert G.A. Jackson, A Study of the Capacity of the United Nations Development System, 2 vols. (Geneva 1969)
- Alan R. Raucher, Paul G. Hoffman: Architect of Foreign Aid (Kentucky 1985)
- Brian Urquhart, A Life in Peace and War (London 1987)