“What we do for ourselves dies with us, but what we do for others and the world endures forever.”
Indeed, history always remembers those who give and influence humanity by their deeds. These deeds illuminate our lives and enrich humanity’s mind, becoming all memorable.
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi gave the following obituary on the occasion of Dr. Boutros Ghali’s death, “Not only did Egypt lose a renowned legal and political figure, but the whole world also. Throughout his long journey, he had enriched international politics both ideologically and practically. Ghali, through his immense giving, contribution to legal and political ideology, as well as achievements in the positions he had held, will remain an icon for the politician who faithfully served his country. He had been a role model for all Egyptians on the international level.”
Dr. Boutros Ghali was born on November 14, 1922, to a Christian Upper Egyptian family. His father was Yusuf Boutros Ghali. His mother, Ana Aslanian, was an Egyptian of Armenian origin. His family played a significant role throughout Egypt’s political history. This started with Orabi’s Revolution. The great grandfather, Ghali Bey Nairouz was the steward of Prince Mustafa Fadil, Khedive Ismail’s brother. Then came his grandfather, Boutros Pasha Ghali. He was the first Christian Prime Minister whose tenure lasted from November 12, 1908 to February 21, 1910. This was one of the hardest eras in Egypt’s modern history, as it witnessed the British occupation. Boutros Pasha was assassinated by Ibrahim Nassef al-Wirdani on February 20, 1910.
Another persona that played a significant role in Egypt’s history is Wassef Pasha Ghali, the renowned Wafdist who was sentenced to death after the 1919 Revolution. He was then Foreign Minister. He refused to deliver Libyan refugees to the Italian government in Libya. He continued to play a significant role in the 1936 Treaty between Egypt and Britain. He also supported the Palestinian people in the UN in 1937 when they claimed their right of self-determination.
Merit Bey Najib Ghali played a political, humanist and cultural role. He took part in helping the Ethiopian people overcome their tribulations. Likewise, he played an important role as a mediator between the Coptic and Ethiopian Churches during the outburst of Deir es-Sultan crisis in Jerusalem and the Copts claiming their rights to it. Thus, Dr. Boutros Ghali grew up in an atmosphere full of love for his fatherland. This love was reflected in his incessant toil, which is how he became a renowned Egyptian and international figure.
Boutros Boutros Ghali
He acquired a B.A. in Law from Cairo University (Fouad I) in 1946, followed by a diploma in Economics, Political Science and General Law from Paris University. He also took his Ph.D. in International Law from the same university in 1949. His dissertation was a study of regional organizations.
Posts and Positions
1949-1977: He worked as a professor of International Law and International Relations at Cairo University.
1954-1955: He worked as a scholar and professor at Fulbright, Columbia University.
1963-1964: He worked as Director of the Research Center at Hague Academy of International Law.
1967-1968: He was a visiting professor at Law School, Paris University.
He gave several lectures on International Law and Relations in several universities in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and North America.
In 1965, he presided the Egyptian Association for International Law.
1971-1979: He became member of the central committee and political bureau of the Arab Socialist Union.
In 1975, he was the head of the Center of Political and Strategic Research at Al-Ahram. He founded Al-Ahram al-Iqtissadi of which he was editor-in-chief from 1960-1975. He also founded al-Siyassa al-Dawlyah magazine and was its editor-in-chief till December 1991. He wrote several articles about regional, international, legal, diplomatic and political affairs. He penned many books in both French and Arabic.
In 1977, Dr. Boutros Ghali was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs to accompany late president Sadat in his trip to Jerusalem. There, he played a significant role in the peace negotiations between Israel and Egypt, as well as the accomplishment of Camp David Accords. Likewise, he played a major role in strengthening the Afro-Egyptian relations.
1977-1991: He was State Minister for Foreign Affairs
In 1978, he became member of the scientific committee of the International Peace Institute at Monton, France.
In 1979, he became associate member of the Institute of International Affairs in Rome.
1979-1991: He was a member of the International Law Committee.
In 1987, he was an MP (Member of the Parliament).
In 1991, he was deputy Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs in Egypt.
UN Secretary General
He was vice president of the International Socialist Organization. Then he became UN Secretary General from January 1992 to 1996, having been supported by France. Thus, he was the sixth UN Secretary General, and the first Egypto-Arab to take the post, after Javier Pérez de Cuéllar. He witnessed a hard time: for clashes spread in several countries like Rwanda, Somalia, Angola, and ex-Yugoslavia.
His tenure was not renewed due to his disagreement with the American administration which used VETO after it had failed to convince other countries to stop supporting him to be Secretary General for a second time. According to the “Washington Post”, Dr. Ghali’s disagreement with the American administration regarding cost reduction of the UNO hindered the renewal of his tenure. The U.S. used VETO after it had openly criticized him due to his publishing the Cana report which exposed the massacres committed by Israel against the Palestinian people. Some called him: “The great Egyptian who became UN Secretary General, and was resolute before America’s interference with his work.”
After returning from the UN, he presided the International Organization of La Francophonie, then the National Council for Human Rights until February 2011.
Previously, Dr. Ghali had been a member at the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), the International Law Institute, the International Institute of Human Rights, the African Association of Political Science, and the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences. Likewise, he took part in several meetings that tackled International Law, human rights, social and economic development, ending colonialism, the Middle East cause, the human international law, the rights of ethnic and other minorities, the Non Aligned Movement (NAM), development in the Mediterranean region, as well as the Afro-Arab cooperation.
Moreover, he presided many delegations that attended the meetings of the Pan African Organization, the NAM, African Leaders and French President’s Summit, as well as the General Assembly’s sessions in 1979, 1982, and 1990.
Medals and Awards
Ghali was awarded prizes and medals from 24 countries. He was also awarded the Degree of Knight of Malta. So was the story. Stories never end in Beautiful Egypt.
