BoutrosGhali

Boutros Boutros-Ghali was an Egyptian diplomat and international civil servant who served as the sixth Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1992 to 1996. Born on 14 November 1922 in Cairo, he studied law at Cairo University and pursued further studies in international law in Paris before joining the Egyptian diplomatic service in the 1940s.

In Egypt, he held a succession of senior diplomatic posts and served as Foreign Minister from 1979 to 1991, under Presidents Anwar al-Sadat and Hosni Mubarak. In this role he helped shape Egypt’s post‑Camp David foreign policy and represented the country on numerous regional and international issues.

As Secretary-General, Ghali advocated UN reform and emphasized preventive diplomacy. He authored Agenda for Peace in 1992, outlining a framework to strengthen UN peacekeeping and peacemaking in the post‑Cold War era. His tenure coincided with significant humanitarian and security challenges, including conflicts in the former Yugoslavia and Somalia, and the international community’s response to crises in Rwanda and other regions. Ghali’s leadership also focused on administrative modernization of the UN and greater attention to human rights and development concerns.

Ghali’s bid for a second term was blocked by the United States in 1996, amid criticisms of the UN’s handling of crises such as Rwanda; he was not renewed as secretary-general, and Kofi Annan succeeded him later that year. After leaving the UN, Ghali remained active in international affairs, contributing to scholarly and policy discussions on diplomacy and international law until his death.

Boutros-Ghali died in Cairo on 16 February 2016. He is remembered for his role in shaping post‑Cold War UN peacekeeping and his efforts to reform and strengthen international institutions.