With the death of Boutros Boutros-Ghali, we have lost a diplomat and politician who was held in great esteem worldwide and whose role in shaping the United Nations and preparing it to meet new tasks and requirements was unparalleled during his term as Secretary-General. His name will always be linked with his report “An Agenda for Peace” (1992), which influenced thinking on a new international order following the end of the Cold War.

However, Boutros Boutros-Ghali did not confine himself to theoretical notions. He fought for his beliefs, also standing up to resistance where necessary. In creating the Department of Political Affairs in the Secretariat of the United Nations in New York, he placed the United Nations’ work on behalf of peace and security on a new institutional basis. Since then, mediation and conflict prevention have become standard tools in the United Nations’ toolbox. Boutros Boutros-Ghali leaves behind a great legacy.