The Hague Academy of International Law has held an event at the International Court of Justice in The Hague to commemorate former Secretary-General of the United Nations Boutros Boutros-Ghali who was also a member of the Academy’s Curatorium since 1982 and served as its President from 2002 until his death in February 2016.
The Curatorium is the Scientific Board of the Academy. Its members are all highly qualified scholars of international law. In January 2017, Professor Yves Daudet was elected to succeed Mr. Boutros-Ghali as President.
The commemoration was held under the auspices of Professor Daudet and Egyptian ambassador Amgad Abdel-Ghaffar. Attending was Mrs Boutros-Ghali, together with a large number of Academy figures and political and international law figures in Europe. Among the Egyptians participating were Consul Jailan Abbas; Mohamed Fayeq, head of the Egyptian National Council for Human Rights; and Ahmad Farouq on behalf of Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shukry.
The speakers extolled the life achievement of Dr Boutros-Ghali in the fields of promoting global peace, justice, and human rights. Dr Fayeq announced the establishment of an international NGO named after Boutros-Ghali, and concerned with spreading the culture and values of knowledge and peace.
On 16 February 2016, The Hague Academy of International Law mourned Dr Boutros-Ghali on it’s website under the title: Remembering Boutros Boutros-Ghali.
“The Academy mourns the loss of Boutros Boutros-Ghali today, February 16th, 2016. Mr. Boutros-Ghali, former Secretary-General of the United Nations, was a member of the Curatorium since 1982 and served as its President from 2002 until his death.
“He was deeply attached to the Academy and left a distinctive mark upon it. His attentive kindness towards Third World countries was constant. He scrupulously monitored the geographical balance between attendees, and ensured in particular that those coming from the Global South had a place among them.
Mr. Boutros-Ghali showed his earnest interest in the Academy long before he became a member of the Curatorium. Indeed, it was upon his initiative that the famous External Programme was created approximately fifty years ago, allowing hundreds of participants from Africa, Asia and Latin America to welcome the Academy in their own respective capitals. “The development of the Centre for Studies and Research, which gives young researchers from all over the world the opportunity to be published in the collections of the Academy, was also the result of his tireless efforts. Until his last breath, he cared for the life of the Academy and the future of young lawyers who attend it, strengthening their training to the benefit of tomorrow’s world.”
Watani International
24 June 2018