Ahmad Fawzi (Egypt)

➡️ AHMAD FAWZI - Longstanding Peace Advocate & Communications Expert for the UN

In his early career, Egyptian-born Fawzi was an accomplished journalist. He joined the United Nations and recently retired from his position as communications advisor and chief spokesperson for the High Commissioner for Refugees.

During his long and dedicated career, Fawzi held many senior positions within the UN. He was the director of the United Nations Information Service and the chief of the UN News and Media Division.

For over 25 years, he managed crisis communications and was the interface between the UN and the global media. His work has involved conflict areas including Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Sudan, Syria, and Timor-Leste.

Devoting his life to peace, he has supported some of the world's greatest peacemakers, working closely alongside Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Kofi Annan and Ban Ki-moon.

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"Stand up for peace, speak up for peace, every individual can play a role" - Ahmad Fawzi

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Peace One Day Ambassador

Fawzi has been a key supporter of the Peace One Day initiative since its very beginning 26 years ago. Peace One Day is a global initiative founded by filmmaker Jeremy Gilley to promote peace and reduce violent conflict.

Their mission is to expose as many people as possible to the message of International Peace Day. So far, they have succeeded in spreading the message to 116 countries. During the 20th anniversary celebration in 2019, #PeaceDay was circulated by 19 million X users!

In 2022, compared to other days in the year, September 21 recorded a 15% decrease in deaths, a remarkable feat for both Peace One Day and the UN. Another significant achievement came in 2007 in Afghanistan. With the help of the WHO, UNICEF and the Afghanistan Ministry of Public Health, due to a ceasefire, 1.4 million children were administered the lifesaving polio vaccine. By 2010, the campaign had successfully immunised 4.5 million children.

Fawzi believes there is simply no alternative to promoting peace in the world. He aims to forge the word 'peace' into the world's conversation to create a lasting culture of peace. He recognises the urgent need for peace in a world raging with the greatest number of conflicts since the Second World War. Hailing from the Arab world, he is deeply troubled by the conflict raging in Gaza, Yemen, Qatar, and Iran.

"Peace is the presence of justice and respect for human rights and the dignity of every human being" - Ahmad Fawzi

The minute of silence held every International Peace Day is important to Fawzi, who views this time as a quiet moment to reflect on and pay respect to the insurmountable number of casualties, injured people, and displaced people worldwide. This is a minute to pause and set the scene for the scale of destruction and misery, so far removed from our daily lives.

"We must never forget the casualties of war, especially the civilians" - Ahmed Fawzi

Peace has been at the heart of Fawzi's career, he also has vested interests in human rights, sustainable development, and freedom of information. He believes that "Peace is the cornerstone of prosperity. Any country that is in conflict will not prosper."

With this in mind, tackling the root causes of conflict, promoting tolerance and diplomacy, pursuing disarmament, and funding peace initiatives must be at the forefront of our efforts towards a safer and more equitable world for everyone.

Author: Rachael Mellor, 31.12.25 licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

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