Kofi Annan (Kofi A. Annan)

Kofi Annan (Ghana) is the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations. As the first Secretary-General, who was elected from the ranks of United Nations staff, he began his term on January 1, 1997. June 29, 2001 decision of the General Assembly, Mr. Annan has been appointed to a second term expiring December 31, 2006.
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. Priority objectives of Mr. Annan as Secretary-General have been to revitalize the United Nations through a comprehensive reform program, strengthening the Organization's traditional work in the fields of development and maintenance of international peace and security, encourage and advocate human rights, . rule of law and enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations universal values, . concerning equality, . tolerance and human dignity, and restore public confidence in the Organization by reaching out to new partners and, . he said, . 'ensure, . the United Nations closer to the people '.,
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. Mr. Annan was born in Kumasi (Ghana), April 8, 1938
. He studied at the University of Science and Technology in Kumasi and completed his work in economics at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota (USA), in 1961. In 1961-1962, he undertook graduate studies in economics at the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva. A 1971-1972, receiving a stipend of. Sloan, he studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he received a master's degree in management.
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. Mr. Annan joined the United Nations system in 1962 as an employee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions, the World Health Organization in Geneva
, . and Assistant Secretary for Program Planning, . Budget and Finance and Controller (1990-1992).,
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. In 1990, after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, the Secretary-General instructed Mr. Annan as a special assignment to assist in the repatriation of more than 900 international staff and citizens of Western countries from Iraq
. Subsequently, he led the first United Nations team negotiating with Iraq on oil sales to finance purchases of humanitarian aid.
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. Prior to his appointment as Secretary-General, Mr. Annan served as Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations (March 1993 - February 1994) and then Deputy Secretary General (February 1994 - October 1995, April 1996 - December 1996 ).,
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. His tenure as Under-Secretary-General coincided with unprecedented growth in size and scope of United Nations peacekeeping, . in which the total number of personnel deployed, . when it peaked in 1995, . of almost 70 000 troops and civilian personnel from 77 countries,
. In the period from November 1995 to March 1996 after the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement, . which ended the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, . Mr. Annan served as Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the former Yugoslavia, . by monitoring the transition in Bosnia and Herzegovina from the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) to the multinational Implementation Force (IFOR), . led by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).,
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. The first major initiative of Mr. Annan as Secretary-General was his plan for reform 'Renewing the United Nations', . which was submitted to Member States in July 1997 and has been pursued ever since with an emphasis on improving coherence and coordination.,
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. His report, 'The Causes of Conflict and the Promotion of Durable Peace and Sustainable Development in Africa', . submitted to the Security Council in April 1998, . is among a number of initiatives, . aimed at preserving the international community's commitment to Africa, . is a region of the world, . located in the most disadvantaged,
. He used his good offices in several delicate political situations. These included an attempt in 1998 to gain Iraq's compliance with Security Council resolutions, the 1998 mission to facilitate the transition to civilian rule in Nigeria, the signing of the 1999 Agreement, ,
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. He also sought to improve the situation of women in the Secretariat and to build closer relationships with civil society, . private sector and other non-state actors, . whose strengths complement those of the United Nations, in particular, . He called for a 'Global Compact' with the participation of international business leaders, . as well as trade unions and civil society organizations, . so that people around the world to share the benefits of globalization and embedding the global market values and practices, . which are fundamental to meeting socio-economic needs.,
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. In April 2000, he published a report on the occasion of the new millennium, . entitled 'We, . peoples: the role of the United Nations in the XXI Century ', . which calls upon Member States to commit themselves to implement the action plan, . aimed at, . to end poverty and inequality, . improve education, . reduce the spread of HIV / AIDS, . protect the environment and protecting peoples from deadly conflict and violence,
. That report formed the basis of 'Millennium Declaration', adopted by Heads of State and Government during the Millennium Summit, held at Headquarters of the United Nations in September 2000.
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. In April 2001, the Secretary-General issued a 'Call to Action' of the five items to combat the HIV / AIDS, . which he described as his 'personal priority', . and proposed a global fund for health care as a mechanism to mobilize additional financial resources, . necessary to assist developing countries to combat the crisis.,
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. The Secretary-General is fluent in English, French and several African languages
. He is married to Nane Annan (Sweden), a lawyer and artist who has a great interest in the work of the United Nations in the field. Of particular interest to her are two issues: HIV / AIDS and education for women. She has also written a book for children about the United Nations.

Mr. and Mrs. Annan have three children.