Nabil Elaraby, Egypt’s Negotiator of Camp David Peace Conference and Taba Summit dies at 89

CAIRO – 26 August 2024: Ambassador Nabil Elaraby, former Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs and former Secretary-General of the Arab League, has passed away at the age of 89.

Ambassador Mohamed Morsi shared on social media: “Today, Egyptian diplomacy has lost one of its greatest figures, Professor Dr. Nabil Elaraby. We have lost a remarkable authority in diplomacy, international law, and the art of negotiation. I am one of many diplomats and others who had the privilege of studying and learning from him.”

Nabil Elaraby was an esteemed Egyptian politician and diplomat who held various influential positions throughout his career, including serving as a judge at the International Court of Justice, Egyptian Foreign Minister, and ultimately as Secretary-General of the Arab League.

Nabil Abdullah Elaraby was born on March 15, 1935, in Cairo, Egypt.

Nabil graduated from the Faculty of Law in 1955 and went on to earn a Master's degree in International Law and a Doctorate in Judicial Sciences from New York University School of Law.

He served as a legal advisor to the Egyptian delegation during the Camp David Peace Conference in 1978. He also was the top negotiator in the Taba Summit between Egypt and Israel in 2001.

Elaraby was appointed Egypt's Ambassador to India from 1981 to 1983 and served as the Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva from 1987 to 1991, and in New York from 1991 to 1999.

On March 7, 2011, Nabil Elaraby was appointed Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs, succeeding Ahmed Aboul Gheit. He was nominated for this role by the youth of the January 25 Revolution on March 4, 2011.

In recognition of his significant contributions to strengthening relations between Japan and Egypt, the Japanese government announced in April that Dr. Nabil Elaraby, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Secretary-General of the Arab League, along with Dr. Karam Khalil, former Head of the Japanese Language Department at Al-Ahram Canadian University, received the Japanese Emperor's Medal.