Sir Robert Jackson; Ex-Undersecretary General of U.N.

Sir Robert Jackson, 79, former undersecretary general of the United Nations who served his native Australia and several other countries in a lengthy diplomatic career. One of the highest U.N. officials during his tenure from 1972 to 1987, Jackson was well known for his relief efforts in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India and Pakistan. He also oversaw the U.N. reconstruction efforts in Bangladesh in the early 1970s after the Pakistani civil war. His was the guiding hand behind the 1970 Jackson Report, which led to reform in the U.N.’s system of providing assistance to developing countries. It built consensus between the wealthy and developing nations on aid formulas. He was knighted in 1956 and named a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 1962. In Roehampton, South London, where he was visiting his son, on Saturday of the complications of a stroke.