Roundup: United Nations commemorates former UN chief Boutros-Ghali

The United Nations on Thurday held a special General Assembly session and various activities to pay tribute to the sixth UN chief Boutros Boutros-Ghali who died at the age of 93.

"Boutros Boutros-Ghali had both the fortune and the misfortune to serve as the first post-Cold-War Secretary-General of the United Nations," said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the General Assembly Session in Memory of Boutros Boutros-Ghali. Boutros-Ghali from Egypt served as the sixth UN Secretary-General from 1992 to 1996.

In his very first month in office, Boutros-Ghali presided over the first-ever Summit of the Security Council, "a powerful symbol of the will of world leaders to make greater use of the United Nations," said Ban.

Ban also noted that Boutros-Ghali "broke barriers as the first African and Arab Secretary-General of the United Nations, and consistently gave voice to the poorest and least powerful members of the human family."

Boutros-Ghali also oversaw remarkable growth in peacekeeping. "His 'Agenda for Peace' report made far-reaching proposals for fortifying this flagship UN activity, many of which have since become standard practice -- but many of which also remain unfulfilled," said Ban.

During his time in office, peacekeeping helped Cambodia, El Salvador, Mozambique and other countries emerge from conflict, he added.

"At a tumultuous time, Boutros Boutros-Ghali helped the United Nations find its footing in a new global landscape. As we do the same today, let us continue to build on his legacy," Ban said.

President of UN General Assembly Mogens Lykketoft also praised Boutros-Ghali in a statement delivered by Marlene Moses, Nauru's permanent representative to the UN, at the General Assembly.

Boutros-Ghali held office during a period of great change and incredible challenges, said the statement.

"Taking over so soon after the fall of the Berlin Wall; Boutros-Ghali worked relentlessly to reform this large and at times unwieldy Organization; and to manage the UN's response to appalling crises in Europe, Africa and beyond," said the statement.

Outcomes from major conferences during his tenure in Rio, Vienna, Beijing and Cairo, together with his Agenda for Peace and Agenda for Development, can now be seen very clearly the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, it said.

His period at the helm demonstrates ever so clearly that the position of UN Secretary General is indeed one of the most difficult jobs in the world, it said.

Boutros-Ghali, the first African and Arab Secretary-General of the United Nations, died on Feb. 16 at the age of 93 in Egypt.

The General Assembly observed a minute of silence in memory of Boutros-Ghali Thursday morning. UN lowered its flag at its headquarters in New York to half mast on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Ban and many others shared their thoughts and tributes in a Book of Condolences placed at the UN headquarters on Tuesday.

Boutros-Ghali received a Ph.D. in international law from Paris University in 1949. In September 1978, Boutros-Ghali attended the Camp David Summit Conference and had a role in negotiating the Camp David accords between Egypt and Israel, which were signed in 1979. He also headed Egypt's delegation to the General Assembly sessions in 1979, 1982 and 1990.

After returning to Egypt, Boutros-Ghali headed the state's National Council for Human Rights under former long-time President Hosni Mubarak. Boutros-Ghali later resigned in 2011, the year Mubarak was ousted by a popular uprising.

During Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Egypt in January this year, Xi met with 10 people awarded for their outstanding contribution to the China-Egypt friendship, including former Boutros-Ghali. Enditem