First published in
Before his death on 18 August 2018, Kofi Annan had agreed to speak at the annual Road Safety and Urban Mobility Regional Workshop in Accra, Ghana, scheduled for 20-21 August 2018. Though Mr. Annan is no longer with us, his message remains as important and relevant as ever. What follows are the…
Kofi Annan for the Road Safety and Urban Mobility Regional Workshop
Before his death on 18 August 2018, Kofi Annan had agreed to speak at the annual Road Safety and Urban Mobility Regional Workshop in Accra, Ghana, scheduled for 20-21 August 2018. Though Mr. Annan is no longer with us, his message remains as important and relevant as ever. What follows are the remarks Kofi Annan had prepared to deliver as a keynote address: Globally, every year more than 1.2 million people die on the roads, an estimated half of these lives are lost in urban areas. In Africa, road crashes are estimated to claim over 300,000 lives each year, despite…
First published in
Download your copy here In 2016, the Kofi Annan Foundation and the Government of Myanmar espoused an innovative method to help pave the way for a brighter future for the country’s troubled Rakhine State: The formation of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State. After one year of consultations held across Rakhine State…
Advisory Commission on Rakhine State: Lessons Learned Report
Download your copy here In 2016, the Kofi Annan Foundation and the Government of Myanmar espoused an innovative method to help pave the way for a brighter future for the country’s troubled Rakhine State: The formation of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State. After one year of consultations held across Rakhine State and in other parts of the country and the region, the Advisory Commission submitted its final report to national authorities in August 2017. The report recommended urgent and sustained action on a number of fronts to prevent violence, maintain peace, foster reconciliation and offer a sense of hope…
First published in
Today, Kofi Annan, Chair of the Kofi Annan Foundation and former United Nations Secretary-General, and Gro Harlem Brundtland, former Prime Minister of Norway and Deputy Chair of the Elders, issued a statement welcoming the announcement that the Basque separatist group Eta has ceased to exist as an armed political organisation. Kofi Annan…
Statement by Kofi Annan and Gro Harlem Brundtland on the Dissolution of Eta
Today, Kofi Annan, Chair of the Kofi Annan Foundation and former United Nations Secretary-General, and Gro Harlem Brundtland, former Prime Minister of Norway and Deputy Chair of the Elders, issued a statement welcoming the announcement that the Basque separatist group Eta has ceased to exist as an armed political organisation. Kofi Annan said: “This announcement marks a welcome end to a difficult chapter in Spanish history. Conflict is rarely solved through force of arms alone, and this news illustrates that political dialogue is the key to building lasting peace. While there is still much work to be done to heal…
First published in
I am gravely concerned about the undemocratic assault on the institutions of the Maldives by President Yameen and his Government. I condemn the disrespect of the Supreme Court’s rulings, as well as the intimidation that has been visited on individual judges. These acts undermine the rule of law and the independence of…
Statement by Kofi Annan on the Crisis in the Maldives
I am gravely concerned about the undemocratic assault on the institutions of the Maldives by President Yameen and his Government. I condemn the disrespect of the Supreme Court’s rulings, as well as the intimidation that has been visited on individual judges. These acts undermine the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary. The authority and independence of Parliament and the police force have also been subverted. The imposition of a state of emergency seems to have been largely politically motivated and constitutes a blatant abuse of power. I urge the Government of the Maldives to restore the rule…
First published in
The following is a transcript of the keynote speech given by Kofi Annan at the AdAsia Summit on 10 November 2017. Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for your warm welcome. I am delighted to be with you today. Let me thank P3I (Persatuan Perusahaan Periklanan Indonesia) for inviting me to…
Campaign for Our World: The Courage for Positive Change
The following is a transcript of the keynote speech given by Kofi Annan at the AdAsia Summit on 10 November 2017. Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for your warm welcome. I am delighted to be with you today. Let me thank P3I (Persatuan Perusahaan Periklanan Indonesia) for inviting me to join you for the 30th AdAsia Congress. This forum is a premiere venue to showcase the best and most innovative marketing practices coming out of Asia, learn from each other’s experiences, and advance new business possibilities. You have every reason to be proud of your accomplishments. Today, Asia…
First published in
UNSC Briefing on the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State – Remarks by Kofi Annan, 13 October 2017 Thank you Ambassador Delattre and Ambassador Rycroft for the opportunity to brief the Council Members, Member States, UN agencies and our partners in civil society on the work of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State.…
UNSC Briefing on the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State – Remarks by Kofi Annan
UNSC Briefing on the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State – Remarks by Kofi Annan, 13 October 2017 Thank you Ambassador Delattre and Ambassador Rycroft for the opportunity to brief the Council Members, Member States, UN agencies and our partners in civil society on the work of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State. The Commission – which was established at the behest of Myanmar’s State Counsellor – was launched on 5 September 2016. It was given one year to carry out its work. I am pleased to say that the Commission, which was made up of six Myanmar nationals and three…
First published in
25 August 2017 As Chair of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State I am gravely concerned by, and strongly condemn, the recent attacks in Rakhine State. I am saddened to hear of the loss of life of members of the security forces. The alleged scale and gravity of these attacks mark a…
Statement by Kofi Annan condemning violence in Rakhine State, Myanmar
25 August 2017 As Chair of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State I am gravely concerned by, and strongly condemn, the recent attacks in Rakhine State. I am saddened to hear of the loss of life of members of the security forces. The alleged scale and gravity of these attacks mark a worrying escalation of violence. No cause can justify such brutality and senseless killing. Perpetrators should be held to account. I urge the security forces to exercise restraint in dealing with the situation and above all ensure that innocent civilians are not harmed. I strongly urge all communities and…
First published in
Geneva, 10 February I am deeply concerned by the military mutinies that have beset Côte d’Ivoire in recent weeks. They are a setback not only for the country’s economic development and reputation, but also for Africa’s democratic progress. Resorting to arms and holding the country to ransom is not an acceptable way…
Statement by Kofi Annan on the situation in the Ivory Coast
Geneva, 10 February I am deeply concerned by the military mutinies that have beset Côte d’Ivoire in recent weeks. They are a setback not only for the country’s economic development and reputation, but also for Africa’s democratic progress. Resorting to arms and holding the country to ransom is not an acceptable way to seek redress for soldiers’ grievances. The armed forces must act within the law and express their demands peacefully through the military hierarchy, not through the barrel of a gun or through intimidation of the civilian population. Most importantly, such acts are out of step with Africa’s long…
First published in
I strongly condemn the murders of the distinguished lawyer U Ko Ni and the driver U Nay Win, who was killed while endeavouring to apprehend the assailant. I extend my earnest condolences and deepest sympathies to the bereaved families and friends. This news is tragic and shocking. Any use of violence against…
Statement by Kofi Annan on the killings at Yangon airport
I strongly condemn the murders of the distinguished lawyer U Ko Ni and the driver U Nay Win, who was killed while endeavouring to apprehend the assailant. I extend my earnest condolences and deepest sympathies to the bereaved families and friends. This news is tragic and shocking. Any use of violence against those who defend human rights and the rule of law is deeply abhorrent. I firmly believe that whatever our differences dialogue and tolerance is the way forward. Violence is not the answer. I urge the authorities to investigate and sanction this heinous crime as quickly as possible.
First published in
This statement was released by Kofi Annan following a one-week visit of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State in Myanmar. We have since September met with a host of youth groups, community leaders, parliamentarians, women groups as well with the Government that mandated us to carry out our work. Our discussions focused…
Remarks by Kofi Annan following the visit of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State
This statement was released by Kofi Annan following a one-week visit of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State in Myanmar. We have since September met with a host of youth groups, community leaders, parliamentarians, women groups as well with the Government that mandated us to carry out our work. Our discussions focused on the reconciliation among the communities of Rakhine, freedom of movement, citizenship verification, and economic and social development of Rakhine state. We also spoke about the preservation and promotion of the rich cultural heritage of the state. We discussed these issues with the President, and, earlier today, when…
