Amr Moussa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Amr Moussa ON ORE
عمرو موسى
Moussa in 2011
6th Secretary-General of the Arab League
In office 1 June 2001 – 1 July 2011
Preceded by	Ahmed Abdel-Meguid
Succeeded by	Nabil Elaraby
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 20 May 1991 – 15 May 2001
Prime Minister	Atef Sedki Kamal Ganzouri Atef Ebeid
Preceded by	Ahmed Asmat Abdel-Meguid
Succeeded by	Ahmed Maher
Egyptian Ambassador to the United Nations
In office 1 January 1990 – 20 May 1991
President	Hosni Mubarak
Preceded by	Ahmed Aboul Gheit
Succeeded by	Nabil Elaraby
Personal details
Born	Amr Mouhammed Moussa Abu-Zeid (1936-10-03) 3 October 1936 (age 88) Cairo, Egypt
Political party	Congress Party
Spouse	Leila Moussa
Children	Hazem Moussa Hania Moussa
Alma mater	Cairo University

Amr Moussa (Arabic: عمرو موسى, born 3 October 1936) is an Egyptian politician and diplomat. He was the Secretary-General of the Arab League from 2001 to 2011. The Arab League is a group of 22 Arab states.

Before this, he worked for the government of Egypt. He was the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1991 to 2001. In 2013, he was chosen to lead a group that would change the Egyptian constitution.

Early Life and Education

Amr Moussa was born in Cairo, Egypt, on October 3, 1936. His father, Muhammad Moussa, was also a politician.

Amr Moussa studied law at Cairo University. He finished his degree in 1957.

Diplomatic Career

Amr Moussa started his career as a diplomat in 1958. From 1958 to 1972, he worked in different places. These included Egypt's Embassy in Switzerland and the Egyptian office at the United Nations.

From 1974 to 1977, he was an advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He also worked as the Director of International Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 1981 to 1983, he was a top representative to the United Nations in New York. Then, from 1983 to 1986, he was the Ambassador to India. In 1990, he became Egypt's main representative to the United Nations.

On May 20, 1991, he was named Minister of Foreign Affairs by Prime Minister Atef Sedki. He held this job until May 15, 2001.

Moussa was very involved in Egypt's foreign policy for many years. He was Egypt's ambassador to the United Nations, India, and Switzerland. He also tried to help solve the Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990).

After being Egypt's Foreign Minister, he became the Secretary-General of the Arab League. He was very popular in Egypt because he often spoke out against certain policies. For example, he criticized the U.S. government for supporting Israel's nuclear weapons but not allowing Iran to use nuclear energy. He also spoke against Western countries not accepting the results of the 2006 Palestinian election. He supported opening the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. His strong opinions made him very well-liked.

Secretary-General of the Arab League

On May 15, 2001, Amr Moussa was chosen to be the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States. He officially started his job on June 1, 2001. Some people believed that former President Hosni Mubarak wanted Moussa to take this job. They thought Mubarak wanted to keep him from running for president in Egypt.

Amr Moussa with Giorgio Napolitano, President of Italy (Cairo, 27 October 2008).

In 2003, he joined a special group at the United Nations. This group looked at threats and challenges to world peace and safety. In 2009, he signed an agreement with the Holy See (the Vatican). He also met with Pope Benedict XVI. This was to help with joint projects and promote peace and discussion between cultures.

On June 13, 2010, Moussa visited Gaza. He wanted to pressure Israel to end its economic blockade on Gaza. This was the first time an Arab League official visited Gaza since 2007. After a naval incident near Gaza, Moussa said the Arab League would ask the UN Security Council to demand the blockade be lifted.

On May 15, 2011, Nabil Elaraby was chosen to be the next Secretary-General of the Arab League. He took over from Moussa on July 1, 2011.

Possible Presidential Candidacies

Amr Moussa with Vladimir Putin (Cairo, 27 April 2005).

2005 Presidential Election

In 2004, many people online signed a petition. They wanted Moussa to run in the 2005 Egyptian elections. However, he did not respond to their request.

2012 Presidential Election

Amr Moussa with William Hague (London, 25 May 2010).

In October 2009, people wondered if Moussa would run for president in 2012. He did not say no, leaving the possibility open. He said that any citizen with the right skills should be able to seek a political job to help their country. He also said he appreciated the trust people showed in him.

Moussa during the World Economic Forum (Davos, 2013).

Moussa talked with Mohamed El-Baradei after he returned to Egypt. Many thought they discussed changes to the constitution. These changes would make elections more open and allow more candidates. On January 26, 2011, Moussa spoke about the need for economic and political changes in Egypt. He made it clear he was thinking about running for president.

On February 1, 2011, President Hosni Mubarak announced he would not run again. Moussa then told CNN that he would seriously consider running for president. On February 11, 2011, news reports said Moussa was leaving his job at the Arab League. This made people think he would run for president. On February 12, 2011, an Egyptian newspaper reported that young Egyptians met with Moussa. They talked about him running for president. Moussa reportedly agreed but said he would wait for the new constitutional changes.

Amr Moussa officially announced he would run for president on March 1, 2011. A poll during the 2011 protests asked who should be the next president. Moussa was in the lead, with 26% of people choosing him.

In the election, Moussa finished fifth. He received 11.13% of the votes in the first round. After the election, he started the Conference Party. Several smaller opposition parties joined his new party.

Honours

Egyptian Honours

Ribbon bar	Honour
	Grand Cordon of the Order of the Nile
	Grand Cordon of the Order of the Arab Republic of Egypt

Foreign Honours

Ribbon bar	Country	Honour
	Argentina	Grand Cross of the Order of the Liberator General San Martín
	Brazil	Grand Cross of the Order of the Southern Cross
	Ecuador	Grand Cross of National Order of Merit
	France	Commander of the Legion of Honour
	Germany	Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
	Japan	Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun
	Jordan	Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Renaissance
	Palestine	Grand Cordon of the Order of the Star of Palestine
	Russia	Medal of the Order of Friendship
	Sweden	Commander 1st Class of the Order of the Polar Star
	Sudan	First Class of the National Order of El-Nilein
	Tunisia	Grand Officer of the Order of the Republic

Honorary Degrees

• ADA University
• American University of Beirut

See also

In Spanish: Amr Musa para niños