Boutros Boutros-Ghali Quotes

Democracy is an objective. Democratization is a process. Democratization serves the cause of peace because it offers the possibility of justice and of progressive change without force.

Only stupid people don't change their minds.

It has long been recognized that an essential element in protecting human rights was a widespread knowledge among the population of what their rights are and how they can be defended.

Water will be more important than oil this century

The next war in the Middle East will be fought over water, not politics

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.

For us, genocide was the gas chamber - what happened in Germany. We were not able to realize that with the machete you can create a genocide.

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

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

We were not realizing that, with just a machete, you can do a genocide.

We must rid the world of the scourge of these agents of death and destruction

In Yugoslavia, I'd asked for additional forces too. I even went to meet the French prime minister, and I proposed additional forces... Nobody wanted to send troops.

So this is why I'm always say happy that somebody mentions Rwanda, because behind Rwanda, we have Africa.

The problem is when you are writing something in retrospective, it needs a lot of courage not to change, or you will forget a certain reality, and you will just take in consideration your view today.

The best way to deal with bureaucrats is with stealth and sudden violence.

There is a greater fatigue concerning the African problem today than five or 10 years ago. The situation now in Africa is worse today than it was 10 years ago.

I used to say I never talk about my successor, neither about my predecessor.