By: Vicheka Lay, Reporter, International Judicial Monitor

Kofi Atta Annan has been one of the most influential modern public figures in international law. Without military or economic power, his “good office” power as Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) enabled him to make enormous contributions to world peace, the rule of law around the world, African social development and justice, and the struggle against HIV/AIDS and terrorism. He was the world’s first black African to serve as the Secretary-General of the UN and served in that position for nine years (1997 - 2006).

Kofi Annan began his first term as Secretary-General of the UN on January 1, 1997 after Boutros Boutros-Ghali ended his term of office. With his “good office” power as the UN Secretary-General, he immediately after taking the office brought out a major plan for reform –“Renewing the United Nations”, which he submitted to UN Member States in July, 1997. In this proposal Annan introduced concepts of strategic management for UN administration, sought to reduce the number of U.N. administrative posts and administrative costs, created the position of Deputy Secretary-General, and created partnerships with private sector civil society organizations.

In 1999, Annan launched another major initiative, the “Global Compact” Initiative, which was a strategic policy initiative for businesses that committed to aligning their operations and strategies with ten universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption. This initiative offered private corporations partnerships with the UN to provide a forum for discussions on global issues related to the ten guiding principles of the initiative.

In 1998, he acted to ease the transition to civilian rule in Nigeria and visited Iraq to ease tension between Iraq and the UN Security Council over compliance with Security Council resolutions relating weapons inspections.

Annan was deeply involved in the process of East Timor’s independence from Indonesia in 1999, certifying Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000, securing a cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, and mediating a settlement of the dispute between Cameroon and Nigeria over the Kakassi peninsula, which was the subject of a judgment of the International Court of Justice in 2006.

Always a strong advocate for global human rights, the rule of law and the welfare of least-developed countries, his leadership resulted, in 2005, in the formation of two new intergovernmental bodies: the Peacebuilding Commission and the Human Rights Council. He played an essential role in the establishment of a global fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria; the adoption of the UN’s first-ever counter-terrorism strategy; and the acceptance by UN Member States of the responsibility to protect people from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.

Kofi Annan’s ascent to the UN Secretary-Generalship resulted from a number of professional positions he held within the UN system, which gave him sophisticated knowledge of it. He began his UN career as an administrator and budget officer with the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland, which he held from 1962 - 1971. From 1987 to 1996 he held three UN leadership positions, becoming successively Assistant Secretary-General for Human Resources, Management and Security Coordination; for Program Planning, Budget and Finance; and for Peacekeeping Operations.

Annan’s United Nations work brought him numerous honors and awards, among which are the Nobel Peace Prize, the Profiles in Courage Award, the Grand Collar of the Order of Liberty (Portugal), the Knight Grand Cross (Netherlands), the International Achievement Award of the Inter Press Service, the Olof Palme Prize, an Honorary Knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II, a MacArthur Award for International Justice, and the Peace of Westphalia Prize. He has 26 honorary degrees from universities around the world.

Kofi Annan was born on April 8, 1938 in Kumasi, Ghana (formerly Gold Coast), to Victoria and Henry Reginald. His paternal and maternal grandfathers were both tribal chiefs.. He attended an elite Methodist school, the Mfantsipim School, from 1954 to 1957. Annan said that the school taught him that suffering anywhere concerns people everywhere.

Though Annan started his economics degree studies at the University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, Ghana, his undergraduate work in economics was completed at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1961. From 1961 to 1962, he did graduate studies in international relations in Geneva, Switzerland. In 1972 he earned a Master’s Degree in Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management. Annan is fluent in English, French and several African languages.

As tributes to his dedication to global peace, a number of not-for-profit organizations and educational programs have been established under his name. These include the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Center in Ghana, the Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT (information technology – Ghana), and the Kofi Annan Foundation (Geneva, Switzerland).

Annan’s dedication to social justice and social welfare, particularly in least-developed nations, has never subsided. Following completion of his term as UN Secretary-General, Annan continues to travel throughout the world to promote peace in Africa and the Middle East, reforms to agricultural regimes in Arica, and global governance reforms to reshape the world’s flawed human rights system.