Former UN chief Boutros Boutros-Ghali dies 94 in Egypt

This file photo with Boutros Boutros-Ghali's signiture was taken on March 26, 1996 at Beijing's Zhongnanhai during his visit to China. [Photo by Xu Jingxin/China Daily]

CAIRO - Egyptian former UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali died on Tuesday in a hospital in Giza at the age of 94, the official MENA news agency reported.

Born in 1922, the late top diplomat led the United Nations from 1992 until 1996, becoming the first Arab to hold the post.

After returning to Egypt, Boutros-Ghali headed the state's National Council for Human Rights under former long-time President Hosni Mubarak. Ghali resigned later in 2011, the year Mubarak was ousted by a popular protest.

When appointed by the UN General Assembly as the body's chief in 1991, Boutros-Ghali was also Egypt's Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs.

He served as Egyptian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs from 1977 to 1991, during which he became member of the International Law Commission.

Ghali was part of the secretariat of Mubarak's ruling party since 1980 until his appointment at the United Nations, then he became member of the Egyptian parliament in 1987.

In 1978, the diplomat attended Camp David summit and played a negotiating role in the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel reached later in 1979.