International reactions to the Egyptian revolution of 2011 refer to external responses to the events that took place in Egypt between 25 January and 10 February 2011, as well as some of the events after the collapse of the government of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, such as Mubarak's trial. The reactions have generally been either measured or supportive of the Egyptian people, with most governments and organizations calling for non-violent responses on both sides and peaceful moves towards reform. Whilst the protesters called for Mubarak to step down immediately, most foreign governments stopped short of this demand, at least during the early phases of the protests, due to realpolitik concerns about the consequences of a power vacuum on Egyptian stability in particular and to the wider Middle East as a whole. Some Middle Eastern leaders expressed support for Mubarak. Many governments issued travel advisories and evacuated foreign citizens from the country.
The protests captured worldwide attention in part due to the increasing use of Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and other social-media platforms, which empowered activists and onlookers to communicate, coordinate, and document the events as they occur. Many countries experienced their own solidarity protests in support of the Egyptians. As the levels of meta-publicity increased, the Egyptian government stepped up efforts to limit Internet access, especially to social media. In response there has been hacktivism, with global groups attempting to provide alternative communication methods for the Egyptians.
Supranational bodies (AU) — The African Union urged Mubarak to respond to the mass protests with reforms. AU Peace and Security Commissioner Ramtane Lamamra called on Mubarak to bring in reforms in response to the unrest. "We believe that there are changes that are necessary in order to respond to the wishes of the people, economic reforms, social measures, and probably also issues related to the government that need to be addressed." — Amr Moussa, the head of the Arab League, said he wanted to see a multi-party democracy emerge but did not say how soon. Speaking to the BBC's The World This Weekend, the former Egyptian Foreign Minister said that Mubarak needed to respond to the protests with actual reform, rather than just reshuffling ministers. "This new government should be just the beginning, just a new prime minister and new ministers does not necessarily mean a change, clear lines of policy will have to be declared." — The European Union's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said Egyptian authorities should listen to their people, deal with their problems, and respect their right to demonstrate. She urged the "Egyptian authorities to respect and to protect the right of Egyptian citizens to manifest their political aspirations". — UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that world leaders should see the Egyptian protests as a chance to address "legitimate concerns" of the Egyptian people. He urged local authorities to refrain from violence. The High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said that most of the frustration and angst has been caused by the emergency laws and urged the government to allow access to the Internet and mobile services. She said measures should be taken to guarantee rights of peaceful assembly and expression.
Americas — On 31 January President Dilma Rousseff said, "[Brazil] hopes that Egypt becomes a democracy, leading its people to benefit from [Egyptian] development."Staff writer (31 January 2011). "Brasil torce para que Egito seja um país democrático, diz Dilma" (in Portuguese). UOL Notícias. Retrieved 2 February 2011. The Ministry of External Relations issued a statement on 1 February calling for a "political evolution that meets the expectations of their people in a peaceful environment, bereft of foreign interference, so as to foster the ongoing economic and social development" and pointed out that "Egypt is an important Mercosur partner". The arrest of two Brazilian journalists in Cairo on 2 February prompted the Ministry of External Relations to raise its tone in remarks about the political crisis in Egypt. it "deplore[d] the violent clashes [and] denounce[d] the arrests of Brazilian journalists Corban Costa, from Rádio Nacional, and Gilvan Rocha, from TV Brasil, and expects that Egyptian authorities take the appropriate measures to uphold the civil liberties and to protect the population at large and the foreigners on the ground from bodily harm."Press release (3 February 2011). "Situation in Egypt" . Brazilian Ministry of External Relations. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
— Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said that Egypt remains an important partner for Canada and urged "the Egyptian government to ensure full freedom of political expression for its citizens." He said the Canadian government "continues to stand by the people of Egypt as they demand democratic reforms and respect for human rights. We urge the Government of Egypt to begin an immediate transition toward serious democratic reform."(2 February 2011). "Minister Cannon Condemns Violence in Egypt". Retrieved 2 February 2011. — A press release from the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared that it is "permanently following the evolution of the events". — Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos asked Mubarak to ensure the situation returns to normal. He said that "[the Colombian people] moves along with the Egyptian people in search of their welfare, freedom and plain use of their human rights and trusts that Mubarak and his government would promote in a short term the return to calm and the strengthening of the democratic institutions." He told their embassy to be prepared to assist Colombian citizens in Egypt.Staff writer (31 January 2011). "Santos pide a presidente egipcio fortalecer instituciones democráticas" (in Spanish). Agence France-Presse (via El Tiempo). Retrieved 1 February 2011. — Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla hoped for a positive outcome to the protests as one that "meets the interests of the Egyptian people and nation (sic)."(3 February 2011). Cuba Rejects U.S. Meddling in Egypt" . Foreign Affairs of Cuba. Retrieved 5 February 2011. — President Barack Obama, noting that he had spoken with the Egyptian president, stated that his first concern is preventing injury or loss of life. He remarked, "What's needed right now are concrete steps that advance the rights of the Egyptian people...Ultimately the future of Egypt will be determined by the Egyptian people. The United States will always be a committed partner to that future, with the Egyptian government, and with the Egyptian people." He recalled that in his speech in Cairo in June 2009 he had stated, "All governments must maintain power through consent, not coercion," and called upon the Egyptian government to restore its people's access to the internet. He called on all parties to refrain from violence in their efforts to bring about a solution. He said that the Egyptian protesters have "universal" rights, including the right to peaceful assembly and association, free speech, and "the ability to determine their own destiny. [...] These are human rights and the United States will stand up for them everywhere." White House spokesman Robert Gibbs expressed anger at the pace of change in Egypt, saying the transition should happen quickly, which he also said would determine US aid to the country. Gibbs posted a statement on Twitter expressing concern "about violence in Egypt", adding the "government must respect the rights of the Egyptian people & turn on social networking and the internet". Vice President Joe Biden said Hosni Mubarak "has been an ally of ours in a number of things. And he's been very responsible on, relative to geopolitical interest in the region, the Middle East peace efforts: the actions Egypt has taken relative to normalizing relationship with Israel." Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, "The Egyptian government has an important opportunity to be responsive to the aspirations of the Egyptian people, and pursue political, economic and social reforms that can improve their lives and help Egypt prosper." She told Al Jazeera that Mubarak has been an ally of the US in the past because he has maintained the peace treaty with Israel in maintaining stability. She said the US supports an "orderly transition." On 8 March Clinton said Egypt's transition to democracy would be incomplete if women were not equal partners with men in creating the new society. She criticized the lack of women involved in efforts to draft a new constitution, saying in part, "The women in Egypt and Tunisia and other nations have just as much right as the men to remake their governments — to make them responsive, accountable, transparent." On 26 January US Ambassador to Egypt Margaret Scobey commented, "we call on the Egyptian authorities to allow peaceful public demonstrations". Frank G. Wisner, a former United States ambassador to Egypt, was appointed a special envoy to Egypt during the protests.Weaver, Michael; Siddique, Haroon; Adams, Richard (31 January 2011). "Egypt Protests – Monday 31 January". News Blog of The Guardian. Retrieved 5 February 2011. On 5 February, he said that it is important for Mubarak stay in power for now in order to ease a transition to democracy. He said the constitution of Egypt calls for an election to be held within two months of Mubarak's resignation, and implied that this would not be sufficient time for pro-democracy forces to make themselves known to the Egyptian people."US Envoy: Mubarak Has to Lead Egypt to Transition". The New York Times. 5 February 2011. NASA gave Essam Mohamed Haji, a research scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, permission to write the name of Sally Zahran, a young woman who was beaten to death at Tahrir Square, on a spacecraft headed to Mars. Essam Mohamed Haji said of the decision: "This is the least we could do for Egypt's youth and the revolutionaries. This step represents the transfer of the dreams of Egyptian young people from a small stretch of earth to the enormous expanse of space." — President Hugo Chávez spoke with his Syrian and Libyan counterparts, Bashar al-Assad and Muammar Gaddafi, about the political crisis. He told them that Venezuela backs a "peaceful solution." He said he "trust[s] that the situation will find on its own the road to harmony, justice and well-being."Staff writer (31 January 2011). "Egypt Protests: 'Change Is Coming'". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 2 February 2011.
Africa Libya — Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi, during a telephone conversation with Mubarak, expressed confidence in the stability of Egyptian society and preserving the gains Egypt has achieved. He expressed his wishes for the completion of Egypt's march towards the greater good and progress for its people and to continue its central role in the defense of issues of the nation. On 23 July, months after the revolution and amidst a widespread uprising in his own country, Gaddafi criticized the revolutionaries in an audio address: "After you looted, destroyed and damaged the country, you want a new president?" He said Mubarak "should be honored" and that he should not have been removed from power and suggested the revolution was meaningless.