Kofi Annan

Kofi Atta Annan (born April 8, 1938) is the seventh and current Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Biography

Early years and family

Annan's family was part of the country's elite; both of his grandfathers and his uncle were tribal chiefs. His father was half Asante and half Fante; his mother was Fante. Annan's father worked for a long period as an export manager from the Lever Brothers cocoa company.

Annan is married to Nane Maria (Lagergren) Annan of Sweden, a lawyer and artist who is the half-niece of Raoul Wallenberg. The couple have three children. Annan also has another son from a previous marriage, Kojo Annan, who was implicated in the Oil for Food program scandal. [1]

Education

In 1958, Annan began studying for a degree in economics at the Kumasi College of Science and Technology, now the University of Science and Technology. He received a Ford Foundation grant, enabling him to complete his undergraduate studies at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States in 1961. Annan then studied at the Institute for Advanced International Studies (Institut universitaire des hautes études internationales) in Geneva, Switzerland, from 1961–62, later attending the MIT Sloan School of Management (1971–72) as a Sloan Fellow and receiving a Master of Science degree in management.

Annan is fluent in English, French, Fante and other dialects of Akan, and other African languages.

Early career

Following that, he returned to work for the United Nations as an Assistant Secretary-General in three consecutive positions: Human Resources Management and Security Coordinator from 1987 to 1990, Program Planning, Budget and Finance, and Controller from 1990 to 1992, and Peacekeeping Operations from March 1993 to February 1994. Annan was then an Undersecretary-General until October 1995, when he was made a Special Representative of the Secretary-General to the former Yugoslavia, serving for five months in this capacity and returning to his duties as Undersecretary-General in April 1996.

Secretary-General of the United Nations

In his book Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda, ex-General Roméo Dallaire claims that Annan was overly passive in his response to the 1994 Tutsi genocide in Rwanda. Dallaire claims that Annan, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations at that time, held back UN troops from intervening to settle the conflict and from providing more logistic and material support.

Annan's Secretary-Generalship was renewed on January 1, 2002, an unusual deviation from informal policy. The office usually rotates around the continents, with two terms each; since Annan's predecessor Ghali was also an African, normally Annan would have only served one term. However, in this case Annan was able to secure reappointment.

In April 2001, the Secretary-General issued a five-point "Call to Action" to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Annan sees this epidemic as his "personal priority" as Secretary-General and in life in general. He proposed the establishment of a Global AIDS and Health Fund to stimulate increased spending needed to help developing countries confront the HIV/AIDS crisis.

On December 10, 2001, Annan and the United Nations jointly received the Nobel Peace Prize, "for their work for a better organized and more peaceful world".

Annan was Secretary-General during the 2003 invasion of Iraq and called for the US and UK not to invade without UN support. In 2004 Annan called the invasion and occupation illegal.

In May 2004, Annan was given a copy of the OIOS report. The report found Ruud Lubbers guilty of sexual harassment. [1] However, on July 15, 2004, Lubbers was declared innocent by Kofi Annan. Annan also wrote a letter that some speculate as a threat to the female worker that brought the charges of harassment.

On November 17, 2004, Annan accepted a report clearing UN Under-Secretary-General for Internal Oversight Services Dileep Nair of graft and sexual harassment charges. This action was not viewed favorably by many UN staff, leading to extensive debate on November 19.

In December 2004, United States Republican Senator Norm Coleman called for Annan's resignation after reports surfaced that his son received payments from the Swiss company Cotecna Inspection SA that won a lucrative contract under the UN Oil for Food program. Annan called for an investigation into this matter. The commission, led by Paul Volcker, made no specific allegations in its March 2005 report, stating only that he should have called for investigation earlier. Outside the United States, Annan has few opponents; he has the unanimous support of the UN Security Council.
[1]

On March 21, 2005, Annan presented a progress report, In Larger Freedom, to the UN General Assembly. Annan recommended Security Council expansion and a host of other UN reformss[1].

Honors