Egypt’s Foreign Ministry on Friday marked the 80thanniversary of the Charter of the United Nations, which was established in 1945.
In a statement, the Ministry affirmed its unwavering support for the UN, its specialised agencies, and for multilateral action on this significant occasion. The Ministry emphasised the critical need to defend the UN Charter and its lofty principles, which aim to secure international peace, security, and sustainable development.
“Egypt firmly believes in the importance of preserving and enhancing the effectiveness of multilateral action,” the statement read, adding that it is a “fundamental pillar in building stable international relations based on respect for international law and a rules-based global order, which contributes to achieving peace, collective security, coexistence, and tolerance among peoples.”
The Ministry highlighted Egypt’s relentless efforts to promote regional and international peace and security, noting its foreign policy is consistently based on UN principles such as respect for international law, the peaceful settlement of disputes, non-interference in the internal affairs of states, and intensifying multilateral cooperation to tackle shared challenges.
As a founding member of the United Nations, Egypt has played a key role in supporting the organisation and its tenets, becoming a major contributor and an active partner in international multilateral action. Currently, Egypt is one of the main regional centres for the UN, hosting 38 UN offices with a staff of over 2,300 people.
Commitment to peacekeeping, security
Egypt is also one of the largest contributors to UN peacekeeping operations, ranking seventh globally for the number of military experts and thirteenth for uniformed personnel taking part in UN missions. The current contingent of Egyptian personnel stands at 1,199, including 102 women, who represent approximately 10 per cent of the total Egyptian participation—a clear demonstration of the nation’s commitment to supporting peacekeeping efforts.
Furthermore, Egypt has held a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council six times, playing a key role in issues concerning international peace and security, particularly those affecting the African continent and the Arab region. During its most recent membership (2016–2017), Egypt focused on backing political settlements to conflicts, supporting counter-terrorism and anti-extremism efforts, and helping to address humanitarian crises across many regions of the world.
Committed to the UN’s central role in international peace, security, and development, and keen to modernise the UN system to keep pace with global changes, Egypt is championing a comprehensive vision for reform. This vision is aimed at correcting the historical injustice inflicted upon the African continent and developing countries, including through the reform and expansion of the Security Council.
Affirming its full support for the unified African position—as embodied in the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration—Egypt stresses the need for the international community to unite behind the United Nations and overhaul its mechanisms and agencies to meet the global aspirations for peace, security, stability, and development.
