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22/12/2000 Born in Kumasi, on 8 April 1938, Kofi Annan grew up under British colonial rule in what was then the Gold Coast. He studied economics at the Kumasi University of Science and Technology before travelling to the United States to finish his undergraduate studies in 1961. After further study in Geneva, he joined the World Health Organisation in 1962 as an administrative and budget officer. This was his first encounter with the UN system; a system that he would be leading thirty-five years later. Fluent in French, English and several African languages, Annan's dedication to UN objectives has seen him serve in a variety of positions in an abundance of locations, including the UN Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa and the United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF II) in Ismailia. Mr Annan became more permanently based at UN Headquarters in New York in 1987 when he was appointed Assistant Secretary-General for Human Resources Management and Security Co-ordinator for the UN - a position that would see him face a number of politically delicate situations. In 1990, following the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq, Mr. Annan was asked by the then Secretary-General, as a special assignment, to facilitate the repatriation of more than 900 international staff and the release of Western hostages in Iraq. He subsequently led the first United Nations team negotiating with Iraq on the sale of oil to fund purchases of humanitarian aid. Further sensitive situations were to transpire when Mr Annan was appointed as Assistant, later Under, Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations in 1993. His tenure as Under Secretary-General coincided with unprecedented growth in the size and scope of United Nations peacekeeping operations: at their peak in 1995, almost 70,000 military and civilian personnel from 77 countries were deployed. His ability to secure peaceful and positive outcomes from such situations contributed to his appointment in 1997 as Secretary-General of the United Nations. So did his capacity to seek out strategic reforms. His first major reform initiative, delivered only four months after taking office was, 'Renewing the United Nations' which presented a new emphasis on improving the coherence and co-ordination of the world's largest humanitarian body. One result has been the greatly increased its use of modern communications which has helped in the pursuit of its wider objectives. Under Annan's influence the Organisation has become more open and accountable. In 1999 it released major reports on Rwanda and Srebrenica, assessments that were painfully self-critical and set a new standard for UN evaluation and transparency. At the same time, some bold management reforms have been introduced to increase the UN's efficiency in carrying out its international mandate including the new post of Deputy Secretary-General, more efficient cabinet-style management, a new office of financial oversight to keep watch for waste and corruption, and an improved status of women in the Secretariat. As well as revitalising the UN from the inside, Kofi Annan has been instrumental in promoting its influence in the outside world. Taking literally the words in the UN Charter 'we the peoples' he has sought to build closer partnerships with civil society, the private sector and other non-State actors whose strengths complement those of the United Nations. In particular, he has called for a "Global Compact" involving leaders of the world business community as well as labour and civil society organisations. By such means the UN is now increasing its relevance to whole new vital sections of the international community that lie beyond governments. With characteristic determination and commitment, Mr Annan has also continued to use his own skills of personal diplomacy and efficient management to work for peace and prosperity in a number of unstable and destructive environments. These included an attempt in 1998 to gain Iraq's compliance with Security Council resolutions; a mission in 1998 to help promote the transition to civilian rule in Nigeria; diplomacy in 1999 to forge an international response to violence in East Timor; and efforts in 2000 to certify Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon and halt the violence between Israel and the Palestinians. Mr Annan is married to Nane Annan, of Sweden, a lawyer who is now an artist. They have three children. Mr Annan reaffirmed his commitment to carrying out the objectives of the UN to build a more peaceful, prosperous and just world at the recent Millennium Summit. His remarkable career also pays testament to his commitment to fulfilling the role of Secretary-General - in equal parts diplomat and advocate, civil servant and CEO - a symbol of United Nations ideals and a spokesman for the interests of the world's peoples.
©EuropaWorld 2000 - Copyright Policy
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