Annan, Kofi Atta, << AN uhn, KOH fee AT uh >> (1938-2018), was a diplomat from Ghana who served as the seventh secretary-general of the United Nations (UN) from 1997 to 2006. He replaced Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt, who held the office from 1992 through 1996. Annan became the first secretary-general from Africa south of the Sahara. He was praised for his support of human rights and for his campaigns against AIDS and international terrorism. Annan, together with the UN, was awarded the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts in building peace and security throughout the world.
Annan was born in Kumasi, Ghana, on April 8, 1938. He studied at the University of Science and Technology in Kumasi. He completed his undergraduate work in economics at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1961. From 1961 to 1962, he attended the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva, Switzerland. He received a master’s degree in management from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1972.
Annan began his career with the UN as an administrative and budget officer at the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1962. He steadily advanced at the UN, holding posts in budget, personnel, and refugee affairs. From 1992 to 1993, he served as assistant secretary-general for peacekeeping operations. He then served as undersecretary-general for peacekeeping operations until 1996. Annan also carried out difficult diplomatic assignments. In 1991, he negotiated the release of UN staff members held in Iraq during the Persian Gulf War of 1991. In 1995 and 1996, he supervised the turnover of the UN peacekeeping mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina to troops of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
As secretary-general, Annan faced a number of difficult political situations. He worked to promote the transition to civilian rule in Nigeria. He helped develop an international response to the violence that erupted in East Timor following that region’s vote for independence from Indonesia. Annan also was involved in efforts to make Iraq comply with weapons inspections called for by the UN at the end of the 1991 Gulf War. He encouraged Israelis and Palestinians to resolve differences through peaceful negotiations.
In 2000, Annan issued a report titled We the Peoples: The Role of the United Nations in the 21st Century. In it, he called upon UN members to commit themselves to ending poverty and inequality, improving education, controlling the spread of AIDS, protecting the environment, and reducing violence. Annan died on Aug. 18, 2018.
See also United Nations (UN) .
