Kofi Annan Quotes

The United Nations is proud to have the Adopt-A-Minefield Campaign as a partner.

Both parties accept this vision. But we can reach it only if we move rapidly and in parallel on all fronts. The so-called 'sequential' approach has failed.

The number one goal in resolving a conflict is to make sure both sides maintain their self-esteem. You don't hit a man on the head when you've got your fingers between his teeth.

Access to safe water is a fundamental human need and therefore a basic human right.

Tony Blair is a very able politician; he's perhaps one of the best of his generation. He made a major contribution in many areas, but in Iraq I believe he got it wrong. He got it wrong.

One has to have the strength of character to say the time has come to move on... unless you are a king.

I can't think of a 30- or 40-year-old who can behave like Mugabe. They wouldn't even know where to begin, and given their own educational exposure, I think it will be very positive for Africa.

My own advice to people who would be in office for two or three terms is that they must accept democratic rotation. Ideally not put themselves up for re-election and allow the system to work.

You need younger men in Africa, men and women in African politics.

You need to be careful not to over-reach and also assess the capacity you have to work with.

Obama saying Gaddafi must go. Putting it upfront like that... it's not very helpful.

It is extreme arrogance for one to think he...and it's usually he, is the only one who can govern his country and nobody else can do it.

Most people forget that even in Iraq, by the time the air and no-fly zone was established, the air defence system had been removed through the first Gulf war. All of them had been neutralised.

I think the US and UK thought if they gave a bit more time to Israel, they would crush Hezbollah. But it became very obvious that was an unwinnable war.

It's always a difficult time to be secretary general.

Sometimes when you take a tough action against one side in the conflict, they see you as part of the conflict and they attack you.

Revolution by its nature can not be overly programmed or directed. There are so many forces at work that you don't know where and how it all ends.

The Lord had the wonderful advantage of being able to work alone. Answering why he had not implemented organizational reforms after five months when 'God created the universe in seven day

Each crisis is different, has its own specificities, and we need to look at it critically; look at each one in its own terms.

Elections with integrity are a challenge everywhere, including in the West.

It's not that easy to quit. When you look back in the American system it is very rare that people quit on issues of principle.

Normally when people resign they will organise their champagne farewell parties... and then they resurface somewhere.

A nation has the right to defend itself, but when it comes to the broader issue of peace and security, the legitimacy rests only with the Security Council.

To go to war without the Security Council will not be in conformity with the Council.

We tend to look at countries in terms of failed states and functioning states, which is rather simplistic.

The problem is this. The spread of markets outpaces the ability of societies and their political systems to adjust to them, let alone to guide the course they take

It is well known that you can only manage what you measure, and as this is the job of professional accountants, it means they have huge influence on companies' governance.

Democracy is, in essence, a form of non-violent conflict management. If war is the worst enemy of development, healthy and balanced development is the best form of conflict prevention.

This is an historic step forward in the world's efforts to combat a truly global threat.

[Refugees] cannot be stopped, but they can and must be managed better, more humanely, protecting migrants' human rights whilst accepting states' rights to control their borders.

Like any large organisation, public or private, the UN is a complex machine.

In fact UN is more of a galaxy of organisations and agencies than one machine.

UN is made even more complex by the constant interplay of politics and bureaucracy and can certainly be bewildering for a novice.

Having worked my way from the bottom of the ladder to the top [of the UN] certainly helped me navigate that complexity, both political and bureaucratic.

My intimate knowledge of the [UN] system allowed me to get things done despite the many obstacles.

If there is one area where equity is crucial and essential, I think it should be the issue of water.

Does anyone seriously contend that any nation can fend for itself?

By signing the Oslo accords in 1993 he took a giant step towards the realization of this vision. It is tragic that he did not live to see it fulfilled.

Perhaps the single most successful international agreement to date has been the Montreal Protocol.

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.

We need to ensure the poorest in the planet - who will be hardest hit by the financial crisis - are not forgotten.

There are lots of questions which have to be answered.

We must bring a message of solidarity, of mutual respect and, above all, of hope. Business cannot afford to be seen as the problem.

I observe a lot. I see a lot around me.

You may have noticed over the years that the UN became a bit more media-friendly, a bit more open to the media than in the past.

We had a rule in the school that when you're punished, you carry out the punishment and then complain, which I felt was absolutely unfair: if I'd done it, what was the point of complaining?

In a world of plenty, continued suffering is a terrible stain on our conscience. It is inexcusable that we not strive, with every resource at our disposal, to eliminate suffering.

Achieving the MDGs is not optional; it is an essential investment in a safer, more human and prosperous world

I think we can make a difference in the lives of the poor, and the millions.

We have to be very clear with the population and the countries we enter what we can do and what we cannot do.