35 Facts About Kofi Annan

1. In 2001, then-UN Secretary General Kofi Annan stated that "fierce competition for fresh water may well become a source of conflict and wars in the future.

2. Kofi Annan died on the morning of 18 August 2018 in Bern, Switzerland, at the age of 80 after a short illness.

3. In 1965, Kofi Annan married Titi Alakija, a Nigerian woman from an aristocratic family.

4. Kofi Annan chaired the Africa Progress Panel, a group of ten distinguished individuals who advocate at the highest levels for equitable and sustainable development in Africa.

5. Kofi Annan served as Chair of The Elders, a group of independent global leaders who work together on peace and human rights issues.

6. Kofi Annan became member of the Global Advisory Board of Macro Advisory Partners LLP, Risk and strategic consulting firm based in London and New York, for business, finance and government decision-makers, with some operations related to Investcorp.

7. Kofi Annan attempted to engage the United Nations to resolve the matter, but failed.

8. In September 2016, Kofi Annan was asked to lead the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State—an impoverished region beset by ethnic conflict and extreme sectarian violence, particularly by Myanmar's Buddhist majority against the Rohingya Muslim minority, further targeted by government forces.

9. Kofi Annan served as the Chair of the Global Commission on Elections, Democracy and Security.

10. On 23 February 2012, Kofi Annan was appointed as the UN-Arab League envoy to Syria, in an attempt to end the civil war taking place.

11. On 19 September 2006, Kofi Annan gave a farewell address to world leaders gathered at the UN headquarters in New York, in anticipation of his retirement on 31 December.

12. Kofi Annan called for an investigation to look into the allegations.

13. On 15 July 2004, Kofi Annan cleared Lubbers of the accusations, saying they were not substantial enough legally.

14. Kofi Annan worked with several Arab and Muslim countries on women's rights and other topics.

15. Kofi Annan supported sending a UN peacekeeping mission to Darfur, Sudan.

16. In 1998, Kofi Annan was deeply involved in supporting the transition from military to civilian rule in Nigeria.

17. In 2005, Kofi Annan included the doctrine of "Responsibility to Protect" in his report Larger Freedom.

18. In 2000, Kofi Annan issued a report entitled "We the peoples: the role of the United Nations in the 21st century".

19. In March 2000, Kofi Annan appointed the Panel on United Nations Peace Operations to assess the shortcomings of the then existing system and to make specific and realistic recommendations for change.

20. On 31 January 2006, Kofi Annan outlined his vision for a comprehensive and extensive reform of the UN in a policy speech to the United Nations Association UK.

21. Kofi Annan recommended Security Council expansion and a host of other UN reforms.

22. Soon after taking office in 1997, Kofi Annan released two reports on management reform.

23. Kofi Annan was the leading candidate to replace him, beating Amara Essy by one vote in the first round.

24. Kofi Annan explained that the events in Somalia and the collapse of the UNOSOM II mission fostered a hesitation amongst UN Member states to approve robust peacekeeping operations.

25. Kofi Annan was subsequently appointed in March 1993 as Under-Secretary-General of that department.

26. In 1962, Kofi Annan started working as a budget officer for the World Health Organization, an agency of the United Nations.

27. Kofi Annan was fluent in English, French, Akan, and some Kru languages as well as other African languages.

28. In 1958, Kofi Annan began studying economics at the Kumasi College of Science and Technology, now the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology of Ghana.

29. Kofi Annan said that his surname rhymes with "cannon" in English.

30. Kofi Annan was born in the Kofandros section of Kumasi in the Gold Coast on 8 April 1938.

31. In September 2016, Kofi Annan was appointed to lead a UN commission to investigate the Rohingya crisis.

32. Kofi Annan quit after becoming frustrated with the UN's lack of progress with regard to conflict resolution.

33. In 2012, Kofi Annan was the UN–Arab League Joint Special Representative for Syria, to help find a resolution to the ongoing conflict there.

34. Kofi Annan joined the UN in 1962, working for the World Health Organization's Geneva office.

35. Kofi Annan went on to study economics at Macalester College, international relations from the Graduate Institute Geneva and management at MIT.