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Building Blocks of Democracy Elhadj As Sy Remarks at the Mo Ibrahim Governance Weekend 2023 Ladies and Gentlemen, There can be no more doubt that democracy is not just in crisis; it is in retreat. Although the methodologies and details vary, that is the unavoidable conclusion of the data crunched each year…
Building Blocks of Democracy – Elhadj As Sy Remarks at the Mo Ibrahim Governance Weekend 2023
Building Blocks of Democracy Elhadj As Sy Remarks at the Mo Ibrahim Governance Weekend 2023 Ladies and Gentlemen, There can be no more doubt that democracy is not just in crisis; it is in retreat. Although the methodologies and details vary, that is the unavoidable conclusion of the data crunched each year by the likes of V-Dem, EIU, Freedom House, etc. Although there are a few notable exceptions, this democratic recession is global, ladies and gentlemen, in established and fledgling democracies alike. It is measured not only by falling voter participation, but also by the falling trust that citizens express…
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Kofi Annan Foundation Chair of the Board Elhadj As Sy delivered the following opening remarks on December 8 2021, in Accra, Ghana, at the 2021 Kofi Annan Peace and Security Forum. Check Against Delivery Mr. President, Excellencies, Commandant, ladies and gentlemen, all protocols observed. It is an honour to welcome so many…
Opening Remarks by Elhadj As Sy – Kofi Annan Peace & Security Forum 2021
Kofi Annan Foundation Chair of the Board Elhadj As Sy delivered the following opening remarks on December 8 2021, in Accra, Ghana, at the 2021 Kofi Annan Peace and Security Forum. Check Against Delivery Mr. President, Excellencies, Commandant, ladies and gentlemen, all protocols observed. It is an honour to welcome so many prestigious and important guests today, both in-person and online, on behalf of the Kofi Annan Foundation. The Foundation and the KAIPTC share not only a name; we share a mission and a legacy bequeathed to us by the late Kofi Annan himself: to work for peace. Without peace,…
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Mr Chairman, Mr. President, Presidential candidates, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen I want to warmly thank General Abdulsalami Abubakar and the National Peace Committee for their kind invitation to the Kofi Annan Foundation to be here for this historic occasion. My thanks go as well to Switzerland a close partner of the Foundation in our…
Remarks by Alan Doss at the Signing of the 2019 Nigerian National Peace Accord
Mr Chairman, Mr. President, Presidential candidates, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen I want to warmly thank General Abdulsalami Abubakar and the National Peace Committee for their kind invitation to the Kofi Annan Foundation to be here for this historic occasion. My thanks go as well to Switzerland a close partner of the Foundation in our efforts to promote electoral integrity around the world. But above all, I want to congratulate the candidates and parties on their reaffirmation of the peace accord. Your commitment puts country before party. Ladies and Gentlemen, I wish it were Kofi Annan standing before you today. Sadly that was…
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The following is an edited version of Kofi Annan’s opening remarks for the 2001 World Conference on Racism in Durban, South Africa, as published in the October 2018 edition of the UNA-UK Magazine. Let us remember that no one is born a racist. Children learn racism as they grow up, from the society…
"Let us rise" – Remarks by Kofi Annan Published in UNA-UK Magazine
The following is an edited version of Kofi Annan’s opening remarks for the 2001 World Conference on Racism in Durban, South Africa, as published in the October 2018 edition of the UNA-UK Magazine. Let us remember that no one is born a racist. Children learn racism as they grow up, from the society around them – and too often the stereotypes are reinforced, deliberately or inadvertently, by the mass media. We must not sacrifice freedom of the press, but we must actively refute pseudo-scientific arguments, and oppose negative images with positive ones – teaching our children and our fellow citizens not…
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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…
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Geneva, Switzerland Sending a message of determination and hope… Ladies and Gentlemen, I called this meeting in Geneva at this critical stage in the crisis to bring the international community and the countries with influence together – to take concrete action. We came here to reach a serious agreement on how we…
Concluding Remarks by Joint Special Envoy Kofi Annan at the Meeting of the Action Group for Syria
Geneva, Switzerland Sending a message of determination and hope… Ladies and Gentlemen, I called this meeting in Geneva at this critical stage in the crisis to bring the international community and the countries with influence together – to take concrete action. We came here to reach a serious agreement on how we could help Syria at this grim and brutal time. We have just issued a communiqué. It is long and detailed, but the messages are clear. Everyone here is gravely alarmed at the situation in Syria. We strongly condemn the continued and escalating killing, destruction and human rights abuses.…
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Geneva, Switzerland The benefits of pursuing a path of collective self-interest are clear… Thank you, Secretary-General Ban and Secretary-General Elaraby, and let me thank you also for your unflinching support. I am honoured to serve as your Special Envoy. Let me begin by thanking you for your presence here today. It sends…
Opening Remarks by Joint Special Envoy Kofi Annan at the Meeting of the Action Group for Syria
Geneva, Switzerland The benefits of pursuing a path of collective self-interest are clear… Thank you, Secretary-General Ban and Secretary-General Elaraby, and let me thank you also for your unflinching support. I am honoured to serve as your Special Envoy. Let me begin by thanking you for your presence here today. It sends a signal to the world that you are here to do what must be done, through joint action, to finally deal with the dire situation in Syria. Let me also say how grateful I am for your many expressions of support. But, dear friends, we should never have…
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Geneva, Switzerland Joint Special Envoy for Syria Opening remarks at joint press conference with Major-General Robert Mood, head of UNSMIS Geneva, 22 June 2012 As Delivered Good afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen, It has been a long time that I haven’t been back in this room but it is good to meet…
Opening remarks by Joint Special Envoy for Syria at Geneva press conference
Geneva, Switzerland Joint Special Envoy for Syria Opening remarks at joint press conference with Major-General Robert Mood, head of UNSMIS Geneva, 22 June 2012 As Delivered Good afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen, It has been a long time that I haven’t been back in this room but it is good to meet you here this afternoon. And I am happy to be able to join you this afternoon with General Mood whom you all know. I am pleased that he could join us. He is on his way back from New York to Syria. As you would all remember, about…
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New York REMARKS TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY BY JOINT SPECIAL ENVOY FOR SYRIA KOFI ANNAN New York, 7 June 2012 AS DELIVERED Three months ago — after a year of deepening crisis, and based on your guidance — Secretary-General Ban and Secretary-General Elaraby gave me a tough job. They asked me to…
Remarks to the UN General Assembly by Joint Special Envoy for Syria Kofi Annan
New York REMARKS TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY BY JOINT SPECIAL ENVOY FOR SYRIA KOFI ANNAN New York, 7 June 2012 AS DELIVERED Three months ago — after a year of deepening crisis, and based on your guidance — Secretary-General Ban and Secretary-General Elaraby gave me a tough job. They asked me to lead a united effort on behalf of the United Nations and the League of Arab States to stop the violence and killing in Syria, and launch a political process for a transition that meets the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people. Today, despite the acceptance of the six-point…
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Damascus, Syria OPENING REMARKS OF JOINT SPECIAL ENVOY FOR SYRIA’S PRESS CONFERENCE – DAMASCUS, 29 MAY 2012 Good afternoon. As you know, I arrived in Damascus yesterday and I met President Assad this morning. I had earlier met the Foreign Minister, and I have also had a range of other meetings…
Opening Remarks of Joint Special Envoy For Syria's Press Conference
Damascus, Syria OPENING REMARKS OF JOINT SPECIAL ENVOY FOR SYRIA’S PRESS CONFERENCE – DAMASCUS, 29 MAY 2012 Good afternoon. As you know, I arrived in Damascus yesterday and I met President Assad this morning. I had earlier met the Foreign Minister, and I have also had a range of other meetings with opposition and civil society figures. In my meeting with President Assad, I conveyed in frank terms the grave concern of the international community about the violence in Syria, including the recent shocking events in Houleh. I should note that he condemned the killings, too. The Security Council…
