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Our Work August - October 2013
Kofi Annan delivers the 3rd Annual Desmond Tutu International Peace Lecture
“Strong and cohesive societies: the foundations for sustainable peace” was the title for this year’s lecture delivered by Mr. Annan on 7 October in Cape Town, an occasion which also marked Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s birthday.
In his address Mr. Annan stressed the need to build strong and cohesive societies to achieve sustainable peace in Africa. He argued that “the challenge is to deepen democracy and build effective and legitimate institutions grounded in the Rule of Law and respect for Human Rights.” The wide-ranging question and answer session included a question on the prospect of some African countries withdrawing from the International Criminal Court. Mr. Annan clearly stated that any leaders who chose this route would earn “a badge of shame for themselves and their country.”
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One Young World Summit 2013
Mr. Annan received a very warm welcome from the 9000 young people at Johannesburg’s FNB Stadium at this year’s One Young World Summit’sopening ceremony where he delivered the keynote address.
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Kofi Annan encourages Côte d'Ivoire to step up efforts towards reconciliation
Kofi Annan returned to Côte d’Ivoire as Chairman of The Elders on 9 and 10 October 2013 to take stock of the progress of the recovery and reconciliation process since the 2011 post-electoral violence that led to approximately 3,000 deaths and 1 million displacements.Photo credit: Sia Kambou / The Elders
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Top Tweets
Life advice from Kofi Annan. Priceless. Thank you oneyoungworld for everything!! #oyw2013…
"@KofiAnnan: "No single factor can be more effective in furthering development than the empowerment of women and girls." #peacelecture"True!
TutuLegacy @TutuLegacy7 Oct
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Standing room only at Uppsala University
A 1300 strong audience filled the Grand Auditorium at Uppsala University, Sweden on 2 September to hear Mr. Annan discussing his memoirs: "Interventions: A Life in War and Peace" with Deputy-Secretary General of the United Nations, Jan Elliason. The discussion, moderated by the University’s Professor Peter Wallensteen, touched on the challenges the United Nations currently faces, and its role within a complex and fast-evolving international community. Swedish lawyer and diplomat Hans Corell delivered closing remarks. If you missed the seminar, the full video is availablehere.
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Gauging young people's future priorities
The fourth episode of the Kofi Annan Dialogues: LIVE, held on 9 September looked at Young People’s Priorities for the 2015 Global Development Agenda. For this “Google Hangout” session, six young leaders from a number of different regions were invited to join Mr. Annan and moderator David Jones to discuss the future of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and priorities for young people. They were also joined by Delegates from the BYND 2015 Summit taking place in Costa Rica with United Nations Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth, Ahmad Alhendawi as their spokesperson. Participants highlighted development priorities for their countries ranging from education to refugees and poverty to better representation of young people. Kofi Annan’s message was simple: “Get organized, engage in politics and you will be amazed by what you can achieve.” The Dialogue was followed by more than 4000 online viewers with many submitting questions and comments.
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West Africa Commission on Drugs (WACD)
"It is clear that Guinea Bissau is facing a real drug problem," said President Obasanjo while leading the delegation's visit there. "The country cannot solve this alone. No country could meet such a challenge alone. But the authorities must demonstrate their political will to address this issue if they want to get the regional and international help which the country needs."
Commissioner Edem Kodjo led a delegation to Mali. “Our meetings allowed us to take stock of the scale of the problem and understand that the drug traffickers had ties not only to extremist groups in Mali, but also to government institutions, against a background of widespread institutional corruption”, said commissioner Mahmoud Ould Mohamedou. “That means that there will have to be root-and-branch reform of the country’s institutions to put an end to impunity and to the multiple forms of smuggling that are hampering development.”
The WACD is preparing a report and declaration to be published early next year, which will serve as the point of departure for a follow-up advocacy campaign in West Africa.
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Working together to build healthy and sustainable societies
Delivering a keynote speech at the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Awards in Holstebro, Denmark, Kofi Annan called for a shift to sustainable practices of economic growth and significant emissions reductions to put the world on a more sustainable trajectory. Addressing representatives from governments, businesses and civil society, Mr. Annan stressed that sustainability has to be placed at the heart of the post-2015 global development framework so it is tackled with the urgency and scale needed. To make progress, Mr. Annan recommended the adoption of ambitious sustainable development goals to secure the well-being of the planet and future generations to come.
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Global Commission on Drug Policy
At the annual meeting of the Global Commission on Drug Policy held in Geneva on 30 September, Mr Annan joined six former presidents and leading experts to discuss the progress on drug policy reform in different regions and to build a strategy for the Commission’s work over the next two years. Kofi Annan and former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, stressed that while drug trafficking is a growing problem in West Africa specifically, the problem remains largely ignored by its leaders while civil society debate is muted and often uninformed. Both underlined the need for an evidence-based discussion about humane and effective ways to reduce the harm caused by drugs.
Photograph: Rebecca Bowring/GCDP
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“Imagine what Africa will look like when it has truly tapped into its potential,”
“Managed wisely, Africa’s natural resources could transform the continent, but its citizens are being robbed by corruption and rising inequality”. This was the message Mr. Annan delivered during a recent event at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies to an audience of students, academics, diplomats and members of the Swiss and international community.
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Sustainable Water for Obeyeyie
During their stay in Ghana in August, Mr. and Mrs. Annan were invited to visit the Safe Water Network Water Station in Obeyeyie, which has significantly reduced disease and now provides sustainable water to the whole community.
As part of the visit, Mr and Mrs Annan witnessed first hand the process of transforming dirty water in clean drinking water. Mrs. Annan also launched the tricycle and container programme, which delivers water to people and helps keep the water in their homes clean.
Safe Water Network manages initiatives in India, Ghana and Kenya and focusses particularly on building local capacity and capability.
Photograph: Safe Water Network
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Gomoa Fetteh Community benefits from new school
Education was also on the agenda in August, as Mr. and Mrs. Annan were invited to visit a school recently handed over by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees(UNHCR) to the community of Gomoa Fetteh. Originally, the Senior High School had been built by UNHCR for Liberian refugees but as the organisation has closed a chapter on its work in Gomoa Fetteh, it handed over the school to the community where it is open and welcoming students.
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