Rhino: Agencies – The Egyptian Foreign Ministry on Monday mourned the death of Ambassador Nabil Elaraby, Secretary General of the Arab League and former Foreign Minister, who died at the age of 89.
In a statement, the ministry described the deceased as “one of the pillars of Egyptian diplomacy and its luminous symbols throughout the ages.”
She added: “He spent his life defending the interests of his homeland and raising its flag high among nations in all international forums, and history will remain witness to the great national role he played in the international arbitration saga to restore the precious land of Taba to Egyptian sovereignty.”
Born in 1935, Elaraby graduated from the Faculty of Law at Cairo University, then earned a master’s degree in international law and then a doctorate in judicial science from New York University School of Law.
He served as ambassador to India and as Egypt’s permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva from 1987 to 1991 and in New York from 1991 to 1999.
He served as a judge at the International Court of Justice from 2001 to 2006 and was a member of the United Nations International Law Commission from 1994 to 2001.
He served as Egypt’s foreign minister in March 2011 before being named secretary-general of the Arab League in May of the same year.