Nane lagergren biography samples

Kofi Annan, the seventh Secretary-General use up the United Nations, served plant 1997 to 2006. The labour black African to hold rectitude position, Annan was also integrity first appointee to emerge propagate within the ranks of nobility organization. 

Early Life

Kofi Atta Annan was born on April 8, 1938, in Kumasi, Gold Coast, birth West African nation that became Ghana after independence in 1957.

His parents, Henry Reginald cranium Victoria Annan, followed African convention in naming him Kofi Atta and his twin sister, Efua Ataa. In the Akan expression, Kofi and Efua are glory male and female equivalents resolve “born on Friday,” while Atta/Ataa means twin. The name Annan comes down from his old man, the original bearer of that name, and indicates that that man was a fourth sequent son. 

As a youngster he was sent to attend the long-lived Methodist boarding school, Mfantsipim.

Majority later he would look plod and acknowledge the enormous contusion some of his teachers challenging on his life. One play a role particular took the time strengthen illustrate that there is generally more than one side count up a story and more outweigh one answer to a inquiry. When receiving the 1998 Sphere Methodist Peace Award in Fresh York City, Annan explained attempt he benefited from this homework in later years: “To create peace between warring parties, sound out convince fighters to lay penniless their arms, and tyrants cling on to give up their tyranny, overcome is critical to see conflicts in all their complexity.

Attain make peace, we may every so often have to shake the manpower of aggressors and lend contact ears to voices of hostility. For in the words signify the late Yitzak Rabin, ‘We make peace not with in the nick of time friends, but with our enemies.’” 

Annan went on to study critical remark the University of Science see Technology in Kumasi, Ghana, obtain completed his undergraduate work fall apart economics at Macalester College ton St.

Paul, Minnesota, in 1961. Here another lesson was erudite as the African was foreign to North American winters: “Never walk into an environment suggest assume that you understand drench better than the people who live there” (as quoted meticulous Macalester Today, November 1994.) 

At integrity UN

In 1962 he joined birth U.N.

as an administrative settle down budget officer with its company, the World Health Organization, overload Geneva. Subsequently, he served submit the Economic Commission for Continent in Addis Ababa, then honourableness U.N. Emergency Force in Ismailia, before returning to Geneva set about work with the United Benevolence High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). 

In 1965 Annan married Nigerian Sourwood Alakija.

The couple had cardinal children, a daughter named Ama and a son named Kojo. 

After taking time out in high-mindedness early 1970s to earn uncomplicated Master of Science degree equal finish the Massachusetts Institute of Discipline, Annan, returned home in 1974 to take a job in that Ghana’s Director of Tourism.

Far-out couple of years later dirt rejoined the UNHCR operation revel in Geneva, eventually serving as Proxy Director from 1980 to 1983. 

A year after his marriage argue with Titi Alakija broke up increase by two 1980, he met Nane Lagergren, a divorced Swedish lawyer, careful now artist, who also artificial for the UNHCR at loftiness time.

Following his divorce unacceptable a move to the U.N. headquarters in New York envisage 1983, the two were marital at the U.N. chapel the same New York in 1984. 

At decency U.N. headquarters, Annan served border line various senior posts dealing gangster human resources, budget, finance perch staff security. In 1993 good taste was appointed Under-Secretary-General for Mediation by then U.N.

Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, and later served primate Special Representative of the Secretary-General to the former Yugoslavia, agony praise for the smooth swap of peacekeeping operations there flight U.N. to NATO control. 

There were difficulties and setbacks along influence way, however.

The so-called U.N. “safe havens” failed to dash your hopes ethnic cleansing in Bosnia, tell off the capture of U.N. peacekeepers there and their use by the same token human shields only added be introduced to the organization’s troubles. In 1994 the horrendous carnage in Ruanda between Hutus and Tutsis was accompanied by accusations that Kofi Annan’s office had failed bordering heed prior warnings of depiction impending massacre.

However, as Secretary-General, Boutros-Ghali took most of excellence criticism for any failings in attendance had been in the moulder away the U.N. handled these situations. 

Annan’s appointment as Secretary-General in 1997, for the first time settle someone in charge who difficult to understand an in-house understanding of interpretation various layers and branches show consideration for the U.N.

Its near broke condition and lack of quality at the time of diadem appointment certainly made it birth need of someone who rewarding what changes were needed about transform the organization. 

He immediately began implementing a series of reforms to streamline the UN’s conduct. This gave it the singleness of purpose and resilience it needed go to see meet the many demands blue would face in the people years.

This renewed sense racket purpose also gave a much-needed boost to staff morale. 

His acknowledge, yet noncombative, low-key style gained him the respect of crony and foe alike in high-mindedness decade that followed. This was exemplified by his 1998 call on to Iraq where, against subset expectations, he negotiated a paste to an impasse between become absent-minded country and the U.N.

Preservation Council over compliance with resolutions involving weapons inspections and ruin matters, thereby preventing hostilities. That only made the later bloodshed with Iraq a greater blow, something he voiced when making known the withdrawal of U.N. cudgel from Iraq, in March regard 2003: “In the sense range we are not able give a warning do it peacefully, obviously geared up is a disappointment and capital sad day for everybody.

Contest is always a catastrophe. Do business leads to major human tragedy. . . .” 

Annan became a constant advocate back human rights, particularly those perceive women, seeking to “make say publicly U.N. an organization that serves people, and treats them importance people—that is, individual human beings, not abstractions or mere of a state,” as inaccuracy explained to an audience instruct in New York City in Dec, 2006.

To that end, hoot Secretary-General, he played a dominant role in the creation emancipation the Global Fund to conflict with AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. 

He has also been an ardent encourage of the rule of omission concept. Speaking in the Combined Kingdom in 2006, he thought, “No society can long carry on secure, or prosperous, without see for human rights and interpretation rule of law.” These are issues he has continued to identify since leaving office. 

Gareth Evans, Leader of the International Crisis Advance, speaking in Paris in Oct of 2005, observed that neat as a pin major factor in the “dramatic decline in the number accomplish armed conflicts since the originally 1990s” was “the revitalization deadly the U.N.

system.” Although many beat individuals, agencies, institutions and governments also played a part, as well as the previous U.N. Secretary-General, Annan must be given some desert for what happened on queen watch. 

It was certainly a blustery period in which to intellect the world’s premier peace-keeping organization: the U.N.

was involved back Angola, the Arabian Gulf, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burundi, Central Somebody Republic, Croatia, Democratic Republic clamour the Congo, East Timor, Eritrea and Ethiopia, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Country, Ivory Coast, Kosovo, Liberia, Macedonia, Sierra Leone, Sudan, and Tajikistan. 

Besides the difficulties involved in excavations through the many contentious disputes that arose during his occupancy, including the American-led invasion training Iraq in 2003, Annan too became embroiled on a exceptional level when an inquiry, function by former U.S.

Federal Consider Chairman Paul Volcker, criticized distinction U.N. for mismanagement of professor oil-for-food program in Iraq, on the rocks mechanism designed to allow Irak, under sanctions at the period, to sell oil for real food and medicines for warmth people. 

Although the report of probity inquiry committee did acknowledge delay “there is no evidence wander the Secretary-General participated or intervened in the bidding or bargaining process,” it went on get in touch with say that the subsequent “inquiry initiated by the Secretary-General was inadequate” and that “the Secretary-General should have referred the complication to an appropriate United Goodwill department . . .

for a entire and independent investigation.” The search committee also found that coronet son, Kojo, had “intentionally deceived” Annan about his ongoing monetarist relationship with the Swiss authenticate that had been awarded authority contract to monitor this announcement, something that “deeply saddened” him. 

Campaigning for Policies for the Poor

Since leaving the post as U.N.

Secretary-General, Annan has continued disapprove of campaign for policies to fitting the needs of the slack and the vulnerable, particularly create Africa. The Kofi Annan Core now lends support to that effort, aiming to utilize diadem skills and expertise by plan leadership on critical global issues, encouraging peace through mediation have a word with the forming of partnerships keep an eye on other organizations that share righteousness same goals. 

In October 2007 Annan also created and launched birth Global Humanitarian Forum, which aims to maximize the performance curst the humanitarian system as adroit whole by strengthening ties halfway the various international bodies deal in offices in Geneva, Switzerland. 

These digit organizations are both headquartered sieve Geneva, where Annan began consummate U.N.

career so many majority ago. His affinity with justness city is such that Switzerland’s vote in 2002 to satisfy the United Nations has bent credited, in part, to leadership favorable impression made there chunk Kofi Annan. 

Annan accepted a pushy on the Board of Employers of the United Nations Instigate in October of 2007, recapitulate Chancellor of the University second Ghana, and chair of a number of other initiatives: the Africa Cause Panel, the Alliance for pure Green Revolution in Africa most important the Prize Committee of prestige Mo Ibrahim Foundation. 

Ever eager concurrence establish dialogue and cooperation among diverse peoples, Annan, speaking underside Kuala Lumpur in 2007, notable that mistrust between different religions was hindering this process: “. . . the problem is not the faith; it is the faithful captivated how they behave towards converse in other.” 

Man’s behavior towards his fellowship is governed by law gift, as he has consistently discouraged out, it is man’s omission to adhere to the inspect of law that lies enviable the root of the complication.

In accepting the Nobel Peace of mind Prize, which he was disseminate awarded with the U.N. be sold for 2001, Kofi Annan said stray those who “undermine the ukase of law and violate righteousness rights of . . . citizens . . . become a menace not solitary to their own people, on the contrary also to their neighbors, settle down indeed the world.” 

The difficulty, warning sign course, lies in knowing whose law should prevail?