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We at the U.N. have to take some of the blame, because we have not lowered expectations creating the impression we are here to save people, even when we have very limited resources.

Kofi Annan

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Kofi Annan
Age: 80 †
Born: 1938
Born: April 8
Died: 2018
Died: August 18
Diplomat
Economist
Politician
Coomassie
Kofi Atta Annan
Annan
Kofi A. Annan
Save
Resources
Creating
Take
Lowered
Even
Limited
People
Impression
Expectations
Blame

More quotes by Kofi Annan

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After the end of the cold war, everybody thought, fantastic, finally the UN may be able to do what it was originally set up to do without big power divisions. It would be easy to get them to come together to resolve things. You will recall, on the first Gulf war, you almost got a unanimous resolution and a very solid coalition.
Kofi Annan
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...there is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women.
Kofi Annan
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Normally when people resign they will organise their champagne farewell parties... and then they resurface somewhere.
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The fight against HIV/AIDS requires leadership from all parts of government - and it needs to go right to the top. AIDS is far more than a health crisis. It is a threat to development itself.
Kofi Annan
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Sometimes in peacekeeping operations you show force in order not to use force - people realise that there's a pushback and there's a solid force there that's not going to be pushed around, that sometimes helps.
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I think that peacekeeping can do quite a lot, if they are given the right mandate with the commensurate resources to get the job done.
Kofi Annan
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To go to war without the Security Council will not be in conformity with the Council.
Kofi Annan
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We need to create a world that is equitable, that is stable and a world where we bear in mind the needs of others, and not only what we need immediately. We are all in the same boat.
Kofi Annan
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The preservation of biodiversity is not just a job for governments. International and non-governmental organisations, the private sector and each and every individual have a role to play in changing entrenched outlooks and ending destructive patterns of behaviour
Kofi Annan
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The world has lost a visionary leader, a courageous voice for justice, and a clear moral compass. By showing us that the path to freedom and human dignity lies in love, wisdom and compassion for one another, Nelson Mandela stands as an inspiration to us all.
Kofi Annan
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Some have suggested that ideally there must be some international body that would treat areas like the Arctic as a global commerce, a bit like the way we treat the sea. It doesn't belong to any particular country, but to all of us, but I'm not sure some of the powerful are ready for that sort of solution.
Kofi Annan
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For everyone, everywhere, literacy is, along with education in general, a basic human right.
Kofi Annan
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We must bring a message of solidarity, of mutual respect and, above all, of hope. Business cannot afford to be seen as the problem.
Kofi Annan
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Achieving the MDGs is not optional it is an essential investment in a safer, more human and prosperous world
Kofi Annan
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This is a day on which we pay our respects to those who have endured the unimaginable. This is an occasion for the world to speak up against the unspeakable. It is long overdue that a day be dedicated to remembering and supporting the many victims and survivors of torture around the world.
Kofi Annan
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I hope we do not see another Iraq-type operation for a long time - without UN approval and much broader support from the international community.
Kofi Annan
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We were all children once. And we all share the desire for the well-being of our children, which has always been and will continue to be the most universally cherished aspiration of humankind.
Kofi Annan
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Young people should be at the forefront of global change and innovation. Empowered, they can be key agents for development and peace.
Kofi Annan
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... the long-lasting humanitarian impact of these inhuman weapons continues to deny communities the opportunity to rebuild long after the end of the conflicts.
Kofi Annan
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Any society that does not succeed in tapping into the energy and creativity of its youth will be left behind.
Kofi Annan