Boutros Boutros-Ghali quotes - page 2

Boutros Boutros-Ghali was an Egyptian diplomat and politician who served as the sixth Secretary-General of the United Nations. His tenure at the UN was marked by complex global conflicts and efforts to reform the organization. He played a significant role in international relations and diplomatic initiatives during the 1990s. Here are 34 of his quotes:

It would be some time before I fully realized that the United States sees little need for diplomacy; power is enough. Only the weak rely on diplomacy. This is why the weak are so deeply concerned with the democratic principle of the sovereign equality of states, as a means of providing some small measure of equality for that which is not equal in fact. Coming from a developing country, I was trained extensively in international law and diplomacy and mistakenly assumed that the great powers, especially the United States, also trained their representatives in diplomacy and accepted the value of it. But the Roman Empire had no need for diplomacy. Nor does the United States. Diplomacy is perceived by an imperial power as a waste of time and prestige and a sign of weakness. (Boutros Boutros-Ghali)

Rwanda was considered a second-class operation; because it was a small country, we had been able to maintain a kind of status quo. They were negotiating, they'd accepted the new peace project, so we were under the impression that everything would be solved easily.

Boutros Boutros-Ghali

But I believe that the DPKO at this time was very much involved with American administration and was acting, taking on consideration the demand or the recommendation of the American administration. American administration was very powerful.

Boutros Boutros-Ghali

But definitely, when a decision is taken, or when you are trying to oppose a decision, you are in a weaker position than the member states, because they know more about the situation than you. We gave information, but they never gave us any information.

Boutros Boutros-Ghali

The fact that you had disruptions in the peace process was not only in Rwanda. We had the same problem in Cambodia, we had the same problem in Mozambique, we had the same problem in Salvador.

Boutros Boutros-Ghali

The real problem was not the troops; the real problem was that only the United States had the infrastructure to do the transport of troops with big planes, and then who will pay?

Boutros Boutros-Ghali

We got involved in the Rwanda peace process for the simple reason that there was a decision which was taken by the Security Council, because the troops were in Uganda, and we decided to have a military presence.

Boutros Boutros-Ghali

When you have an accident, they will save their own people, and those who have worked with you or with the NGOs are left. Unfortunately, this happens always. It is not an excuse at all.

Boutros Boutros-Ghali

It was a mistake. I was wrong, but I discovered this many years later. I was acting on the basis of this mandate given me by the most important leaders of the world: President Bush's father, prime minister of France, President Mitterand, the Chinese, everybody.

Boutros Boutros-Ghali

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Boutros Boutros-Ghali

Occupation: Egyptian Public Servant
Born: November 14, 1922
Died: February 16, 2016
Quotes count: 34
Wikipedia: Boutros Boutros-Ghali