Kofi Annan

Kofi Annan carried Ghana's name to the very top of global affairs. As the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, he became the most internationally celebrated Ghanaian of his generation, a diplomat whose quiet authority made him a moral voice for the world.

Early life

He was born on 8 April 1938 in Kumasi, into a prominent family. He studied in Ghana before continuing his education in the United States and Europe, training in economics and management that would carry him into international service.

Rise through the United Nations

Annan spent most of his career inside the UN system, working his way up through its ranks over decades in roles spanning administration, budget and peacekeeping. That long apprenticeship made him uniquely prepared when, in 1997, he became Secretary-General, the first to rise to the post from within the organisation's own career staff and the first Black African to hold it.

Secretary-General

He led the UN from 1997 to 2006, through a turbulent era that included the fight against HIV/AIDS, the launch of the Millennium Development Goals and intense debate over the Iraq war. In 2001 he and the United Nations were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their work for a better organised and more peaceful world.

Legacy

After leaving office he founded the Kofi Annan Foundation and continued to mediate in global crises until his death in 2018. He remains a source of enormous national pride in Ghana, proof that a son of Kumasi could help lead the world.