Boutros Boutros-Ghali

The failure of the United Nations - My failure is maybe, in retrospective, that I was not enough aggressive with the members of the Security Council.

— Boutros Boutros-Ghali

Since the creation of the United Nations in 1945, over 100 major conflicts around the world have left some 20 million dead.

— Boutros Boutros-Ghali

The lesson I learned in Cairo still applies. The only way to deal with bureaucrats is with stealth and sudden violence.

— Boutros Boutros-Ghali

There are signs that the system of collective security established in San Francisco nearly 50 years ago [at the founding of the UN] is finally beginning to work as conceived .\xa0.\xa0. We are on the way to achieving a workable international system.

— Boutros Boutros-Ghali

Only stupid people don't change their minds.

— Boutros Boutros-Ghali

I believe it will take time to find a solution to the problem. Thus we must have patience.

— Boutros Boutros-Ghali

The days of dictatorship are over. … We have come a long way. Millions of Egyptians and Iraqis have cast their votes at the ballot box. The Palestinians will follow suit.

— Boutros Boutros-Ghali

While the broad principles of democracy are universal, the fact remains that their application varies considerably … We are at the beginning of the road, at the very beginning. We still have a long way to go.

— Boutros Boutros-Ghali

Cultural pluralism is as important as political and multi- party pluralism. Religious, linguistic and cultural pluralism are vitally important hallmarks of a true democracy. We are against cultural hegemony of any sort. Diversity is a mark of a healthy democracy.

— Boutros Boutros-Ghali