Boutros-Ghali, Boutros (1922– )

Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt, sixth secretary general of the United Nations 1992–96.

Egyptian diplomat and politician, deputy prime minister 1991–92, secretary general of the United Nations (UN) 1992–96. He worked towards peace in the Middle East in the foreign ministry posts he held from 1977 to 1991. The first Arab and African to become UN secretary-general, his term saw lengthy and difficult peacekeeping operations in Bosnia, Somalia, and Rwanda, and other challenges in Haiti and the post-Cold War world. The USA, a permanent member of the UN security council, was dissatisfied with his independent leadership and ensured he did not get a second term. In December 1996 he was replaced by Kofi Annan. In 1997–2002, Boutros-Ghali was secretary general of La Francophonie, a 49-member grouping of French-speaking nations.

Born in Cairo, he was a professor at Cairo University 1949–77, specializing in African affairs. In 1977 he accompanied President Anwar Sadat of Egypt to Jerusalem on the diplomatic mission that led to the Camp David Agreements and was appointed minister of state for foreign affairs that year. He became a member of the Egyptian parliament in 1987 and, as deputy prime minister from 1991, played a major role in securing Arab support for the Gulf war.