Boutros Boutros-Ghali papers, 1867-2001

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Summary

Creators:
Boutros-Ghali, Boutros, 1922-2016, Hill, Charles, 1936-, and Boutros-Ghali family
Abstract:
Speeches and writings, memoirs, correspondence, clippings, and printed matter relating to international law, Egyptian foreign relations, international relations in the Middle East and throughout the world, and activities of the United Nations. Includes some papers of Charles Hill as special adviser to the secretary-general of the United Nations. Also includes photocopies of Boutros-Ghali family papers relating to the history of the Coptic Church.
Extent:
279 manuscript boxes, 9 videocassette boxes, 1 oversize box, 1 oversize folder (115.0 Linear Feet)
Language:
English, Arabic, French, and some Amharic
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Boutros Boutros-Ghali papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Background

Scope and content:

The Boutros Boutros-Ghali papers were acquired by the Hoover Institution Library & Archives in 1996, with subsequent increments in the years following. The papers reflect Boutros-Ghali's long career in international politics, in particular his service as minister of state for foreign affairs in Egypt and his term as the sixth secretary general of the United Nations. Included among these records are the papers of Charles Hill, reflecting his role as advisor to Boutros Boutros-Ghali and their joint work at the United Nations. In addition, the collection includes photocopies of the archives of the Boutros-Ghali family, the originals of which reside with the family.

The Boutros-Ghali Family Archiveis chronologically the earliest material in the collection. The series is comprised of photocopies of the family's papers, covering a wide range of events and activities relating not only to Egyptian history, but also to the history of Coptic Christians in Egypt and Ethiopia. The series is arranged in its original groups with the original classification scheme retained. Noteworthy among these records are documents relating to Boutros Ghali Pasha's premiership and his assassination in 1910 by an Egyptian nationalist, marking a period of increased clashes between Muslims and Coptic Christians in Egypt. The series also includes unique records on the relationship between the Egyptian and Ethiopian Coptic churches, and Mirrit Boutros-Ghali's role in the negotiations concerning the separation of these churches.

The Correspondence Files are arranged chronologically in groups corresponding to the original arrangement of the materials. The files reflect Boutros-Ghali's career as a professor at Cairo University, editor of Al-Ahram al-Iqtisadi, member of the International Law Commission, as well as his involvement with numerous human rights groups, socialist unions, and other international law organizations.

Boutros-Ghali served as minister of state for foreign affairs of Egypt from 1977, elected under Anwar as-Sadat, until 1991, when he was appointed deputy prime minister by Hosni Mubarak. The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (Egypt) File is mostly comprised of clippings about Boutros-Ghali, but also contains some of his routine diplomatic correspondence, retained in the original groups. Materials relating to the Senegal-Mauritania conflict are included in this series.

Boutros-Ghali's term as Secretary-General of the United Nations was characterized by numerous global crises, including the dissolution of Yugoslavia, Bosnian genocide, Rwandan genocide, and the famine in Somalia; a reform of the Secretariat; and a changing relationship between the United States and United Nations. A large portion of the series is comprised of publicity materials, including clippings, trips files, and media reports, which provide detailed information on the Secretary-General's public activities. Reflecting more internal activities are the Secretary-General's appointment books, available for every month from 1992 to 1996. In addition to listing who visited the Secretary-General on which day, some of the more important meetings contain minutes or other documentation as well. For example, the May 1993 volume contains minutes of meetings with Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe, Danish Prime Minister Poul Rasmussen, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu from South Africa, among others.

The speeches and writings in the Secretary-General of the United Nations File are arranged chronologically and include statements Boutros-Ghali made at UN engagements, as well as drafts and research materials for his three major reports as Secretary-General: An Agenda for Peace, An Agenda for Development, and An Agenda for Democratization. Geographical files contain binders of memoranda, correspondence, and other documentation on policy matters for different geographic regions. Noteworthy among these files is correspondence from Libya regarding the Lockerbie bombing and subsequent UN sanctions, as well as records about the Oil for Food program in Iraq.

Because of the collaborative nature of their relationship, some papers of Charles Hill are included in this collection. The Charles Hill Advising and Projects File is comprised not only of records created during his work as policy advisor to the Secretary-General, but also contains records relating to the publication of the three volume Papers of the United Nations Secretary-General, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, published by Yale University Press and compiled and edited by Hill. Memoranda and correspondence exchanged between Jean-Claude Aimé (Mr. Boutros-Ghali's chief of staff) and Hill regarding policy developments, edits to speeches and statements by the Secretary-General, and other related tasks are also included. The series also contains a small amount of material on Hill's work with Gidon Gottlieb on crafting an Israeli-Palestinian peace solution. Other relevant materials may be found in the Charles Hill papers at the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

The Speeches and Writings series contains many reprints of articles written by Boutros-Ghali for the journal Revue Egyptienne de Droit International, relating to the Organization of African Unity, the United Nations, and other aspects of African politics. Included in this series are drafts, research materials, and correspondence relating to Boutros-Ghali's monographs, Egypt's Road to Jerusalem (Random House, 1997) and Unvanquished (Random House, 1999). The original Memoir, which recounts his personal account of negotiating the Camp David Accords and which formed the basis for Egypt's Road to Jerusalem, is also available in the collection. Because Charles Hill was involved with the writing and publishing of all of these major works, related correspondence and research materials also appear in the Charles Hill advising and projects file.

Writings by Others includes the original handwritten manuscript of the first history of modern Egypt by Boutros-Ghali's maternal grandfather, Mikhail Sharubim.

Sources: Goldschmidt, Arthur. "Boutros Ghali." Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East. Gale, 2004. Gale Biography In Context. Web.

Biographical / historical:
Date Event
November 14, 1922
Born, Cairo, Egypt
May 1991
Appointed Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs, Egypt
1977-1991
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Egypt
1949
Ph.D. in international law, University of Paris
1946
Bachelor of Laws, Cairo University
1949-1977
Professor of international law and international relations, Cairo University
1963-1964
Director of the Centre of Research of The Hague Academy of International Law
1965
President of the Egyptian Society of International Law
1967-1968
Visiting professor, Faculty of Law, University of Paris
1971-1979
Member of the Committee on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations of the International Labour Organization
1975
President, Centre of Political and Strategic Studies (Al-Ahram)
1978 September
Helps negotiate Camp David accords between Egypt and Israel
1979
Camp David accords signed
Member of the Institute affari internazionali (Rome)
1979-1991
Member of the International Law Commission
1997
Author, Egypt's Road to Jerusalem: A Diplomat's Story of Struggle for Peace in the Middle East
1999
Author, Unvanquished: A U.S.-U.N. Saga
1960-1975
Editor, Al-Ahram al-Iqtisadi
1992-1996
Sixth secretary general of the United Nations

Source: United Nations. Biography of Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali. http://www.un.org/Overview/SG/sg6bio.html

Acquisition information:
Acquired by the Hoover Institution Library Archives in 1996.
Physical location:
Hoover Institution Library & Archives
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Boxes 62-82, 150, 155, 160, 164, 166, 184, 204-208, 210, 212, 214-215, 219, 224-225 may not be used without permission of the Archivist. The remainder of the collection is open for research; materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual or digital media material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.

Terms of access:

For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Boutros Boutros-Ghali papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Location of this collection:
Hoover Institution Library & Archives, Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-6003, US
Contact:
(650) 723-3563
hooverarchives@stanford.edu
Website