Boutros Boutros-Ghali Quotes

A collection of quotes by Boutros Boutros-Ghali.

Boutros Boutros-Ghali was an Egyptian diplomat and politician who served as the sixth Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) from 1992 to 1996. He was born on November 14, 1922, in Cairo, Egypt, and came from a prominent Coptic Christian family. Trained as a lawyer and obtaining a doctorate in international law from the University of Paris, he began his career at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Egypt.

Boutros-Ghali's involvement in international affairs started in the 1970s when he became involved with various UN committees and commissions. He played a significant role in Egypt's diplomacy, serving as the nation's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs from 1977 to 1991. During his tenure, he contributed to the Camp David Accords and the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel.

In 1991, Boutros-Ghali was elected as the first African Secretary-General of the United Nations. His term was marked by various challenges and conflicts, including the early days of the post-Cold War era, the Rwandan Genocide, and the Bosnian War. He faced criticism for the UN's handling of these crises but also made efforts to reform and restructure the organization.

After leaving the UN, Boutros-Ghali continued to be involved in international affairs and held various roles, such as Secretary-General of La Francophonie and Chairman of the South Centre. He authored numerous books on international relations and played a vital role in promoting dialogue and cooperation among nations. Boutros-Ghali passed away on February 16, 2016, leaving behind a legacy of diplomatic service and global engagement.

The failure of the United Nations - My failure is maybe, in

The failure of the United Nations - My failure is maybe, in retrospective, that I was not enough aggressive with the members of the Security Council.

Boutros Boutros-Ghali

Failure

The problem is when you are writing something in retrospecti

The problem is when you are writing something in retrospective, it needs a lot of courage not to change, or you will forget a certain reality, and you will just take in consideration your view today.

Boutros Boutros-Ghali

Courage

Rwanda was considered a second-class operation because it wa

Rwanda was considered a second-class operation because it was a small country, we had been able to maintain a kind of status quo. They were negotiating, they'd accepted the new peace project, so we were under the impression that everything would be solved easily.

Boutros Boutros-Ghali

Peace