Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annanis a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1997 to December 2006. Annan and the United Nations were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize "for their work for a better organized and more peaceful world." He is the founder and the Chairman of the Kofi Annan Foundation, as well as being the chairman of The Elders, a group founded by Nelson Mandela...
NationalityGhanaian
ProfessionPolitician
Date of Birth8 April 1938
CityKumasi, Ghana
CountryGhana
The Americans are usually very generous in assisting in other crises,
The American people who have always been the most generous in responding to disasters in other parts of the world, have now themselves suffered a grievous blow,
Massive and systematic violations of human rights -- wherever they make take place -- should not be allowed to stand,
Likewise, Security Council reform has, for the moment, eluded us, even though everyone broadly agrees that it is long overdue,
I was very impressed with what MSF is trying to do in Niger.
The practice differs widely, ... But at heart we are dealing with universal values: to be merciful, to be tolerant, to love thy neighbor.
The prevailing mood is one of optimism, ... The parties have proclaimed ... their determination to work together. At long last we can all sense a new wave of movement.
We've indicated quite clearly what the U.N. has achieved and has done since the passage of Resolution 1483. And we have also indicated and spelled out the areas where the U.N. can make further contributions.
We need to decide our priorities. And we must adapt our United Nations so that in the future, those priorities are reflected in clear and prompt decisions leading to real change in people's lives. That my friend is what the people expect of us -- let us not disappoint them.
We have made it clear that it does not go around encouraging abortions, ... It does give good advice to women in the area of reproductive health and does very good work around the world, including in China.
This tragedy underlines the danger faced by unarmed humanitarian workers serving the U.N. in conflict and post-conflict situations,
This tragedy serves as a graphic reminder of the need for the parties to respect humanitarian law and provide security for all civilians, including the staff of international and non-governmental organizations active in the region,
to see if broader investigations can take place.
While no one today could have had the power to prevent the earthquake from happening, we do have the power to stop the next wave: the deaths and despair caused by freezing temperatures and disease, by lack of shelter, food and water,