Diplomat extraordinaire, a quintessential humanist with an ingrained empathy for the underdog, Kofi Annan, former UN secretary-general and Nobel laureate, has bequeathed a lasting legacy to the world in the form of Millennium Development Goals.
Annan, who served two terms as UN Secretary-General from January 1, 1997, to December 31, 2006, and was honoured with Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian work, died on August 18 at the age of 80. The first black African to lead the United Nations, the Ghana-born diplomat-statesman shaped the global agenda on a raft of crises, including the Iraq War, HIV/AIDS and climate change.
In a world bristling with partisan agendas and geopolitical power play, Annan resolutely championed the cause of peace and humane development. Amid a growing chorus of scepticism about the relevance of the United Nations in a conflicted world, the gifted diplomat took defining initiatives to reform and revive the global body. “More than ever before in human history, we share a common destiny. We can master it only if we face it together. And that, my friends, is why we have the United Nations,” he said famously.
Conscience Keeper
World leaders have paid glowing tributes to the veteran diplomat. UN chief Antonio Guterres lauded him as “a guiding force for good.” Russian President Vladimir Putin described him a “remarkable person” and former US President Barack Obama said Annan had always pursued “a better world”. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed Annan as “not only a great African diplomat and humanitarian but also a conscience keeper of international peace and security.” “Kofi Annan’s significant contribution to the MDGs (Millenium Development Goals) will always be remembered. My thoughts are with his family and admirers in this hour of grief. May his soul rest in peace,” Mr Modi tweeted.
Author Profile
- India Writes Network (www.indiawrites.org) is an emerging think tank and a media-publishing company focused on international affairs & the India Story. Centre for Global India Insights is the research arm of India Writes Network. To subscribe to India and the World, write to editor@indiawrites.org. A venture of TGII Media Private Limited, a leading media, publishing and consultancy company, IWN has carved a niche for balanced and exhaustive reporting and analysis of international affairs. Eminent personalities, politicians, diplomats, authors, strategy gurus and news-makers have contributed to India Writes Network, as also “India and the World,” a magazine focused on global affairs.
Latest entries
DiplomacyApril 23, 2024Resetting West Asia, re-booting the world, but not fast enough: T.S. Tirumurti- India and the WorldApril 22, 2024India’s G20 Legacy: Mainstreaming Africa, Global South in global agenda
- DiplomacyApril 10, 2024Diplomat-author Lakshmi Puri pitches for women power at LSR
- India and the WorldApril 6, 2024UN envoy pitches to take India’s solutions to the world stage
