Welcome Message

Welcome to the winter edition of our newsletter. As 2011 comes to a close, it is hard to believe that this time last year the Arab Awakening was just beginning to stir...

It has certainly been a tumultuous year with political, economic and social upheaval affecting every corner of the globe. The year has also been marked by terrible natural disasters. The fragile trust between people and leaders and growing inequality underscore the need to embed fairness, solidarity and accountability in our institutions.

At the Foundation, our activities this year have kept us positive and optimistic about the future. From Kenya to Iceland, Stanford to Gothenburg, Kofi Annan has engaged a huge number of students and young leaders. On issues as diverse as food security, climate change, international justice or governance and human rights, we have heard how young people are determined to play their role in building a fairer and more secure world.

We end by thanking Lamin Sise for all his many contributions to the Foundation this year, and welcoming Alan Doss, Fabian Lange, Kasita Rochanakorn, Chiara Trincia and Orla Vandepoortaele to the team.

With best wishes for the holiday season!

Ruth McCoy
Executive Director

In this email

Our Work: October to December 2011

Partnerships

Quarterly Highlights

Looking Forward to 2012

Our Work  

Kenya National Dialogue and Reconciliation: Building a Progressive Kenya

The Kofi Annan Foundation and the African Union Panel of Eminent African Personalities convened the third annual conference entitled, “Building a Progressive Kenya" on 5-6 December in Nairobi. Kofi Annan was joined by his fellow Panel members, President Benjamin Mkapa and Mrs. Graça Machel, at an event that drew more than 350 participants with hundreds more watching the proceedings by live-stream. 

The purpose of the conference was to sustain the gains of the KNDR reform process and promote a national discussion around what is required to build and sustain a progressive Kenya.  Discussions covered the implementation of the Constitution; building a united, cohesive society; ensuring the integrity of the electoral process; and establishing enduring institutions.

The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka, Speaker of the National Assembly Kenneth Marende, Chief Justice Willy Mutunga, five former Heads of State and Government and a range of stakeholders: religious leaders, representatives of civil society organisations, the business community and media, elders and youth leaders, international and regional organisations, and donor governments.

There were rich and frank conversations, with Kenyans optimistic about their future but realistic about the challenges ahead.

In closing the conference Kofi Annan summarised some of the key messages:

“We have heard over the last few days from Kenyans from all walks of life that there can no longer be business as usual when it comes to leadership, integrity and accountability in Kenya.  Leaders are elected to deliver on the needs and aspirations of all the people.

It is the collective responsibility of all Kenyans to ensure that the Constitution becomes a living reality and that it is upheld, protected and respected.

It is important to remember that there is more that unites you than divides you, and that nations and communities are held together by common values.

Given the experience of the last election, I am sure that Kenyans will remain vigilant about the integrity of the electoral process.

The future stability and prosperity of Kenya depend on a strong and united society.”

Full details of the meeting can be found on the website www.kofiannanfoundation.org

Link | Speech

Photo Credit | James Gichanga

Restoring Trust in Our Shared Future

At “Challenges for the 21st Century," a symposium held to celebrate the centenary of the University of Iceland, Kofi Annan addressed the student body, academics and politicians with a keynote speech entitled “Restoring Trust in Our Shared Future .” Mr. Annan stressed that trust is vital to tackling the biggest challenges the world faces today, including the Eurozone crisis and threats emerging from climate change.

Mr. Annan paid tribute to the University for its contribution to the development of Iceland over the last hundred years and underlined the central role the University is playing in finding creative solutions to the challenges of today. At the close of his speech Mr. Annan answered questions from students.

During his visit to Reykjavik, Mr. Annan was hosted by the President, H.E. Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson and visited Hellisheiði Geothermal Power Station, the largest in Iceland and the second largest geothermal power station in the world.

Link | Speech

“Food Security is a Global Challenge”

An audience of some 1,400 guests at Stanford University welcomed Mr. Annan in early November to participate in a conference sponsored by Stanford’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies . In his keynote speech, Mr. Annan stressed that feeding those most in need is not simply a moral imperative, but a means to growth, prosperity and international stability. He argued that food and nutrition security lies at the heart of our ambitions for a more prosperous and fairer world.

Highlighting the link between food security and the environment, Mr. Annan stressed that the impact of climate change will make tackling widespread hunger more difficult, and called for renewed cooperation to address this all-encompassing threat. He explained that whilst Africa is particularly impacted by climate change, the continent also has huge potential to help achieve global food security, and called for greater support for the “uniquely African Green Revolution.”

Mr. Annan reminded the audience that a renewed sense of common purpose based on shared values is key to overcoming the linked challenges of climate change and food security, and stated that “reshaping the global agricultural system in ways that alleviate hunger, end poverty, and promote sustainable development, requires us all to work together more effectively.”

Mr. Annan also formally inaugurated the University’s Centre on Food Security and The Environment at a dinner later that evening. He welcomed the crucial contribution of such institutions, and highlighted the importance of bringing all our scientific and research tools to bear on the challenge of achieving global food security.

The following day Mr. Annan met with a group of 100 members of the Global Citizenship Residence, a student community of undergraduates with a particular interest in global affairs. He encouraged them to recognise that they are well equipped to play a significant role in deciding the future of our ever-shrinking global community and in improving the lives of the most vulnerable on the planet.

 Link |  Speech

Photo Credit | Ben Chrisman

The Responsibility to Protect: Reflections 10 Years On

Academics, students, parliamentarians and diplomats gathered at the University of Ottawa in early November to listen to a panel discussion entitled: “The Responsibility to Protect—10 Years On: Reflections on its Past, Present and Future.”    Kofi Annan was joined by Lloyd Axworthy, former Foreign Minister of Canada, and MP Chris Alexander. Alan Rock, Vice-Chancellor of the University introduced the discussion and Huguette Labelle, the Chancellor, delivered closing remarks.

Panellists debated the challenges and opportunities surrounding the development and application of the R2P norm in the context of recent crises such as in Darfur, Georgia, Sri Lanka, Libya and Syria.   

Kofi Annan shared his view that, “The jury is still out. How we describe the progress of R2P will depend very much on what happens in Libya in the next six months to a year or two.”  He went on to explain some of the challenges:  “When the Security Council voted to effectively unleash the air power of western countries like the United States, France and Britain against Libyan military infrastructure and equipment, Brazil, China, India and Russia all abstained, sending a powerful message that the Council was divided.  Therefore, when you go to implement that resolution, you have to be very careful to stick to that resolution.”
 

Photo Credit | Mélanie Provencher

Greater Investment in Climate Smart Agriculture in Africa

During the recent COP 17 meeting in Durban, Mr. Annan participated in a High Level Panel entitled "Climate Smart Agriculture – Africa: A Call to Action ." Hosted by the World Bank and the governments of South Africa and Norway, the event launched the Early Action Program to mobilise funding for climate-smart agricultural policies in Africa.

Delivering the keynote address, Mr. Annan acknowledged that the COP 17 was being held against a difficult backdrop of continuing global financial insecurity, and increasing social tension in many parts of the world. However, he stressed that this was no excuse for inaction in the face of climate change, and highlighted the opportunity that Durban presented to build on the progress achieved in Copenhagen and Cancun to strengthen the institutions of the Convention on Climate Change.

Mr. Annan welcomed the inclusion of agriculture in climate negotiations for the first time, highlighting its potential to “help achieve global food security, counter the impact of climate change through sustainable agriculture, and provide a platform for wider development throughout the continent.” 

He called for decisive national and international leadership to renew commitment to mitigating the impact of climate change, and noted that “we all have a part to play in ensuring our leaders do not shy away from the hard decisions necessary to ensure the world we pass on to future generations is a stable, secure, and healthy one.”

Link | Speech

Photo Credit | David Orr

Partnerships

2nd Meeting of the Global Commission on Elections, Democracy and Security

The Global Commission on Elections, Democracy and Security, jointly created in 2010 by International IDEA and the Kofi Annan Foundation, held its second meeting  in Doha, Qatar on 20 and 21 November 2011.

The Commission reviewed new research on challenges to electoral integrity in different contexts such as poor countries, ethnically divided countries, countries in or emerging from civil war, authoritarian countries, consolidating democracies and older democracies.  Commission members also discussed the issue of electoral-related violence and considered the quality of representation for women, particularly whether the use of electoral quotas yield better quality representation and participation for women.

The Commission’s next meeting will be held in Stockholm in April 2012 where they will evaluate electoral assistance and observation and review the willingness of international donors to stand up to election violence and elections that lack credibility.

During their time in Qatar, Mr. and Mrs. Annan met with the Prime Minister, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, as well as with His Highness the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and Her Highness Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser Al Missned.

From left: Louise Arbour, Rima Khalaf, Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de León

Link | Press Release

Photo Credit | Tamman Al-Agha

Stability, Justice, and Peace: An Achievable Trinity?

Mr. Annan participated in a panel alongside President and CEO of the International Crisis Group, Louise Arbour, on "Stability, Justice, and Peace: An Achievable Trinity?" at the International Crisis Group's flagship event "The Global Briefing."

This high-level event held in Brussels on 24 and 25 October 2011 was led by senior staff of the International Crisis Group and its Board members. Representatives from international diplomacy, business, civil society and media also attended the event which focused on exchanging recommendations on current world crises.

The Human Rights Council..."still a work in progress, but there is no greater cause."

In a recent article published to coincide with Human Rights Day, Mr. Annan encouraged that the Human Rights Council, five years after its establishment, can bring progress.

He noted that as a result of robust and committed engagement by its members, the Human Rights Council has taken important steps to promote and protect human rights across the globe. Those whose rights are violated depend on the protection it offers, and they deserve our every effort to strengthen that protection and make it truly universal.

Mr. Annan stressed that recent events in North Africa and the Middle East demonstrated the need for greater adherence to international standards, arguing that this is not the time to forsake the Council, but to redouble our efforts to make it stronger and more effective.  He stated that should we let the Human Rights Council fail, it would "be a betrayal of those who are, or might one day be, the target of oppression or violence."

Link | Opinion Piece

Quarterly Highlights

Gothenburg Award for Sustainable Development

On 14 December 2011, Mr. Annan travelled to Sweden to accept the Gothenburg Award for Sustainable Development for his work with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).

The award, which Mr. Annan shares with the Ethiopia-based Tigray Project, recognises and supports work to achieve sustainable development.

In his acceptance remarks, Mr. Annan emphasised the urgency of abandoning business-as-usual thinking in a world threatened by climate change, a struggling economy and growing global population. “Of these 7 billion now living in our world, one billion goes to bed hungry every night,” said Mr. Annan. “This figure is set to grow unless we lay the foundations for sustainable food and nutrition security.”

Mr. Annan drew the audience’s attention to Africa, where the challenges of food security, and opportunities for the future, are the most manifest. By empowering smallholder farmers with the right knowledge, policy framework, resources and infrastructure, “Africa can transform its agriculture to grow enough food to meet its own needs, and produce surpluses to meet growing demands across the globe, whilst responding to the realities of a changing climate.”

Photo Credit | Dick Gillberg

Conflict and Development: A Key Challenge of Our Time

On the occasion of Norad’s Annual Conference on Conflict and Development, Mr. Annan conveyed a message of support to the conference delegates. Pointing to some 1.5 billion people who live in fragile states, he stressed that conflict and development is a key challenge of our time. He further highlighted that “peace will not last in the absence of security, rule of law and good governance; and determined effort to promote social and economic development.”

Link | Message 

See Africa Differently

Mr. Annan recently participated in an online interview with See Africa Differently. Follow the link below for his thoughts on the largest area of progress for Africa in the next decade, the Continent's greatest success story in terms of sustainable development, and how misconceptions on Africa can be altered...

Link | See Africa Differently

Looking Ahead…

Spring 2012

The spring edition of the newsletter will include reports on a ceremony on International Holocaust Day to commemorate the centenary of the birth of Raoul Wallenberg, the launch of the "Annan Papers" and the United Nations Foundation visit to India.

As always, in our constant effort to improve our newsletter and make the next issue better than the one before, we welcome your comments and suggestions.

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