On the proposal of the Ambassador Dr. Hussein Hassouna, the United Nations Commission on International Law, in its meeting on May 2016, devoted a full session to the commemoration of the former member of the Committee, Dr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, and the former Secretary-General of the United Nations.

At the beginning of the meeting, he expressed his thanks to the members of the committee for organizing this special session to commemorate a distinguished Egyptian personality Dr. Boutros Ghali who worked as a university professor, a famous journalist, a distinguished diplomat, an active member of the International Law Commission and the first Arab and African Secretary-General of the United Nations . He added that Dr. Ghali played an important role in the field of the Egyptian diplomacy as a Minister of State for Foreign Affairs; where he contributed to the peace efforts in the Middle East and Africa, and to the support of the Non-Aligned Movement. The Secretary-General of the United Nations also held the principles of the Charter of the United Nations without distinction, respect for the independence of the Secretary-General and his impartial positions. He also presented important initiatives such as his reports on the “Peace Agenda” and the “Development Agenda”, and establishing the first international criminal tribunal to judge war criminals of the former Yugoslavia.

Ambassador Hassouna also noted that despite Ghali’s achievements, the Security Council has not renewed its mandate because the United States has vetoed this renewal while it has been supported by all other members of the Council. In recognition of his outstanding performance, Ghali was later elected to be the Secretary-General of the Francophone Organization; where he promoted and expanded its membership. Later, he headed the Egyptian National Council for Human Rights; where he was always supportive to all human rights instruments, whether Arab, African or international. In recent years, he has been lecturing, writing and presiding over many cultural and legal organizations and bodies such as the Hague Academy of International Law in his belief in the importance of teaching and disseminating the provisions of international law between different circles and ages.

The Chinese member of the Committee said that his country had lost a close friend, as Dr. BoutrosGhali had visited China more than twenty times and was awarded by the Chinese President during his visit to Egypt in January 2016, in recognition of his contribution to promoting the Arab-Chinese friendship, protecting the rights and interests of developing countries and creating a more just and fair world. The French member said Dr. Ghali believed in the importance of multiculturalism and languages, including French culture and language, which he sought to publish when he became the first Secretary-General of the International Organization of la Francophonie from 1997 to 2002. The Indonesian member praised the special qualities of Dr. Boutros-Ghali in terms of his independence, courage and determination in the face of the crises facing the United Nations in the 1990s.

Dr. Boutros-Ghali has contributed greatly to the work of the International Law Commission through his research, analysis, concepts and the importance of its teaching and dissemination among students all over the world. The members of the Group of Eastern European States in the Committee praised the role played by Dr. Boutros-Ghali in the settlement of disputes between the countries of the Non-Aligned Movement and the establishment of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Crimes of Yugoslavia, which paved the way for the establishment of the International Criminal Court in The Hague. The members of the Latin American Group expressed their appreciation for the efforts exerted by Dr. Boutros Ghali during his tenure as the Minister of State for Foreign Affairsfor the establishment of an African-Latin dialogue for enhancing relations between Arab and African countries on one hand and for Latinism on the other, as well as the settlement of many crises in Latin America.

The members of the African Group expressed their pride in relative to the appointment of Dr. Boutros-Ghali as Secretary-General of the United Nations as the representative of the African continent. They commended his contributions to the African issues, his role in the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, his efforts to bring together religions and civilizations, as well as his defense within the framework of the International Law Commission on the interests and aspirations of the African States.

In conclusion, Ambassador Hassouna expressed his thanks and appreciation to all members of the International Law Commission for their great feelings towards the late Dr. Boutros Ghali and his achievements