Pérez de Cuéllar, Javier, 1920–, Peruvian diplomat, secretary-general of the United Nations United Nations (UN), international organization established immediately after World War II. It replaced the League of Nations . In 1945, when the UN was founded, there were 51 members; 192 nations are now members of the organization (see table entitled United Nations
..... Click the link for more information. (1982–92). He entered the Peruvian foreign service in 1940 and served in several posts, including ambassador to the USSR (1969–71) and the United Nations (1971–75). He represented the United Nations on the Cyprus Cyprus (sī`prəs), Gr. Kypros, Turk. Kıbrıs, officially Republic of Cyprus, republic (2005 est. pop.
..... Click the link for more information. problem (1975–78) before being elected (1982) to succeed Kurt Waldheim Waldheim, Kurt (k
..... Click the link for more information. as secretary-general. Serving two terms, he restored UN prestige, aided by the end of the cold war cold war, term used to describe the shifting struggle for power and prestige between the Western powers and the Communist bloc from the end of World War II until 1989.
..... Click the link for more information. , and was a strong advocate of its peacekeeping efforts. He personally negotiated the cease-fire (1988) that ended the Iran-Iraq War Iran-Iraq War, 1980–88, protracted military conflict between Iran and Iraq. It officially began on Sept. 22, 1980, with an Iraqi land and air invasion of western Iran, although Iraqi spokespersons maintained that Iran had been engaging in artillery attacks on
..... Click the link for more information. , secured the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan, and brokered the 1991 Cambodian peace accord. Under his leadership UN negotiators obtained the release of the Americans held hostage in Lebanon, and he personally negotiated a peace pact between El Salvador's government and rebels. He was succeeded by Boutros Boutros-Ghali Boutros-Ghali, Boutros (b
..... Click the link for more information. of Egypt. Pérez de Cuéllar was an unsuccessful candidate for the Peruvian presidency in 1995. In 2000 he was appointed Peruvian prime minister by interim president Valentín Paniagua.

Pérez de Cuéllar, Javier

(born Jan. 19, 1920, Lima, Peru) Fifth secretary-general of the United Nations (1982–91). He joined the Peruvian foreign ministry in 1940 and its foreign service in 1944, serving in France, Britain, Bolivia, and Brazil. After serving as ambassador to Switzerland and as Peru's first ambassador to the Soviet Union, he was appointed the country's ambassador to the UN, a post he held until he was appointed secretary-general. As secretary-general he advocated the use of the United Nations Security Council for keeping the peace and as a forum for negotiation. In his second term, he negotiated the cease-fire that ended the Iran-Iraq War (1988). Pérez de Cuéllar later served as prime minister of Peru (2000–01).