Former UN chief Kofi Annan dies at 80

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Bern [Switzerland], Aug 18 : Former United Nations (UN) Secretary General, Kofi Annan passed away on Saturday, his family and foundation confirmed.
“It is with immense sadness that the Annan family and the Kofi Annan Foundation announce that Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations and Nobel Peace Laureate, passed away peacefully on Saturday 18th August after a short illness..,” read a tweet on Annan’s official Twitter handle.
Condolences from various world leaders started pouring in soon after the demise of the world peace icon.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “We express our profound sorrow at the passing away of Nobel Laureate and former UNSG Mr. Kofi Annan. The world has lost not only a great African diplomat and humanitarian but also a conscience keeper of international peace and security.”
Prime Minister Modi praised Annan for his contribution to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the global body’s roadmap for eradicating poverty, halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education.
“Mr. Kofi Annan‘s significant contribution to the MDGs will always be remembered. My thoughts are with his family and admirers in this hour of grief. May his soul rest in peace,” he added.
The United Kingdom Prime Minister, Theresa May“>Theresa May also paid homage to Annan and tweeted,
“Sad to hear of the death of Kofi Annan. A great leader and reformer of the UN, he made a huge contribution to making the world he has left a better place than the one he was born into. My thoughts and condolences are with his family.”
The Secretary General of the UN, Antonio Guterres also mourned Annan’s demise and said “his legacy as a global champion for peace will remain a true inspiration”.
“Kofi Annan was a guiding force for good. I join the world in mourning his loss. In these turbulent and trying times, his legacy as a global champion for peace will remain a true inspiration for us all.” Guterres tweeted.
The United Nations Migration Agency expressed sorrow over the death of Ghana-born peacenik, saying, “Today we mourn the loss of a great man, a leader, and a visionary: former @UN Secretary General @KofiAnnan. A life well lived. A life worth celebrating.”
Annan, who was the seventh Secretary General of the UN, served two terms from 1997 to 2006. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts towards a “better organised and more peaceful world” jointly with the UN as an organisation in 2001.
Having studied International Relations from the Graduate Institute Geneva and management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Annan became the first coloured African to be elected to the UN‘s top post.
Among his major achievements, was his role in Israel‘s withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000, and brokering peace between Tel Aviv and Hezbollah in 2006. He also played a vital role in the ‘Global Compact’ initiative in 1999, which aimed at promoting corporate social responsibility.
After his tenure ended at the UN, he founded the Kofi Annan Foundation, where he continued the human rights work. He was the chairman of the Africa Progress Panel and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, and also the Nelson Mandela-founded group, The Elders.