Yesterday August 18th 2018, the 7th Secretary General of the United Nations passed out in Switzerland after a brief illness (May his soul rest in peace), here are some facts about the Nobel Peace price winner.
Born as Kofi Atta Annan, The Ghanaian diplomat was given birth on 8th April 1938.
Kofi Annan was born in Kumasi, Ghana to an aristocratic family.
Kofi Annan was born alongside a twin sister, she died in 1991.
He attended the elite Mfantsipim school, a Methodist boarding school in Cape Coast, Ghana.
Annan began studying Economics in the now Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology of Ghana in 1958, but completed it at Macalester College, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States, after receiving the Ford Foundation grant. He graduated in 1961.
From 1961–62 he completed a diplôme d'études approfondies DEA degree in International Relations at The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, Switzerland.
Annan started working as a Budget Officer for the World Health Organization in 1962.
Annan married Titi Alakija, a Nigerian in 1965 and she bore him a daughter (Ama) and a son (Kojo).
Annan and Titi Alakija separated in the late 1970s, and got divorced in 1983.
Annan obtained a master's degree in Management from the MIT Sloan School of Management (1971–72) in the Sloan Fellows program.
Kofi Annan married Nane Annan, a Swedish lawyer at the UN in 1984.
In 1997, Kofi Annan succeeded Boutros Boutros-Ghali to become the 7th Secretary General of the United Nations.
Kofi Annan was deeply involved in supporting the transition from military to civilian rule in Nigeria in 1998.
Kofi Annan was awarded the Nobel price for Peace in 2001, for having revitalized the UN and for having given priority to human rights. The Nobel Committee also recognized his commitment to the struggle to containing the spread of HIV in Africa and his declared opposition to international terrorism.
Annan was reappointed for a second term as the United Nation's secretary General on 29 June 2001 which lasted till 2006 before being replaced by Ban ki Moon.
He led talks in New York between the presidents of Cameroon and Nigeria which led to a settlement of the dispute between the two countries over the Bakassi peninsula in 2006.
Annan established the Kofi Annan Foundation in 2007, an independent, not-for-profit organization that works to promote better global governance and strengthen the capacities of people and countries to achieve a fairer, more peaceful world.
In March 2011, Annan became a member of the Advisory Board for Investcorp Bank B. S. C. Europe, an international private equity firm and sovereign wealth fund owned by the United Arab Emirates. He held the position until 2018.
Annan alongside Nader Mousavizadeh wrote a memoir, Interventions: A Life in War and Peace, written. Published by Peguin Press, the book was described as a "personal biography of global statecraft".
Some of his other held positions are;
- United Nations Foundation, Member of the Board of Directors (2008-2018).
- University of Ghana, Chancellor (2008-2018).
- School of International and Public Affairs of Columbia University, Global Fellow (2009).
- The Committee on Global Thought at Columbia University, Fellow.
- Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore (NUS), Li Ka Shing Professor (2009-2018).
- Global Centre for Pluralism, Member of the Board of Directors (2010-2018).
- Mo Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership, Chairman of the Prize Committee (2007-2018).
- Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Chairman (2007-2018).
- Global Humanitarian Forum, President (2007-2018).
- AWARDS AND HONOURS;
Honours;
2000: Companion of the Order of the Star of Ghana.
2000: Grand Cross Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland.
2001: Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the Star of Romania.
2002: Knight Commander of the Most Courteous Order of Lesotho.
2005: Grand Collar of the Order of Liberty (Portugal).
2006: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion.
2007: Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold with Sash for Services to the Republic of Austria[citation needed].
2007: Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) from Queen Elizabeth II (UK).
2008: Grand Cross 1st class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.
2013: Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour.
- Awards;
2000: Kora All Africa Music Awards in the category of Lifetime Achievement.
2001: Nobel Foundation, The Nobel Peace Prize, jointly presented to Kofi Annan and the United Nations.
2002: Profiles in Courage Award.
2002: The American Whig-Cliosophic Society James Madison Award for Distinguished Public Service.
2003: Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
2003: Freedom Prize of the Max Schmidheiny Foundation at the University of St. Galleon.
2004: Freedom medal.
2006: International World Order of Culture, Science and Education, Award of the European Academy of Informatization, Belgium.
2006: IPS International Achievement Award.
2006: Olof Palme Prize.
2007: Wooden Crossbow, special award from the Swiss World Economic Forum.
2007: People in Europe Award of Verlagsgruppe Passau[citation needed]
2007: MacArthur Foundation, MacArthur Award for International Justice.
2007: North-South Prize of the Council of Europe.
2008: Harvard University Honors Prize.
2008: Gottlieb Duttweiler Award.
2008: Peace of Westphalia Prize.
2008: Open Society Award – CEU Business School Budapest.
2011: Gothenburg Award.
2012: Confucius Peace Prize.
- Honourary Degrees
- Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, (Kumasi), Honorary Doctor of Science, 24 August 1998.
- United Nations Mandated University for Peace, Honorary President, 1999.
- Lund University, Honorary Doctor of Law, 1999.
- National University of Ireland, Doctor of Law, 22 January 1999.
- Technische Universität Dresden, doctor honoris causa, 27 April 1999.
- Howard University, honorary doctorate of humane letters, 8 May 1999.
- Comenius University in Bratislava, doctor honoris causa, 14 July 1999.
- University of Michigan, Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, 3 May 1999.
- University of Notre Dame, Doctor of Letters, honoris causa, 21 May 2000.
- Seton Hall University, John C. Whitehead School of Diplomacy and International Relations, Honorary Doctorate, February 2001.
- Brown University, Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, 28 May 2001.
- Liberty Medal International Selection Commission, Liberty Medal, 4 July 2001.
- Free University of Berlin, doctor honoris causa, 13 July 2001.
- Tilburg University, Honorary Doctorate, 2002[35]
University of Alcalá, Doctor Honoris Causa, 9 April 2002. - Northwestern University, Doctor of Laws, 21 June 2002.
- University of Pittsburgh, honorary Doctor of Public and International Affairs degree 21 October 2003.
- Ghent University (Belgium), doctor honoris causa 21 March 2003.
- Carleton University, Legum Doctor, honoris causa, 9 March 2004.
- University of Ottawa, Doctor of the University Degree, 9 March 2004.
- University of Pennsylvania, Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, 16 May 2005.
- Universidade Nova de Lisboa, doctor honoris causa, 12 October 2005.
- The George Washington University, Doctor of Public Service, 5 May 2006.
- University of Tokyo, Honorary Doctorate, 18 May 2006.
- Georgetown University, Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, 30 October 2006.
- University of St. Gallen, Switzerland, Max Schmidheiny Foundation Freedom Prize (originally awarded 2003, but postponed due to Annan's illness), 18 November 2006.
- Princeton University, Crystal Tiger Award, 28 November 2006.
- Uppsala University, receiver of the Uppsala University Linnaeus Medal in gold, 23 May 2007, and doctor honoris causa 26 May 2007.
- King's College London, Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, 28 May 2008.
- University of Neuchâtel, Honorary Doctorate, 1 November 2008.
- Glasgow Caledonian University, Doctor of Laws, 18 November 2011.
There's no doubt Annan have left a void no one can fill. As you close your eyes in rest may all your pain and troubles be lost forever. There are not many in the world like him and today the earth mourns the loss of an angel. As you close your eyes in rest may all your pain and troubles be lost forever. May he rest in peace.
This post was culled mainly from Wikipedia.