Kofi Annan

Kofi Annan

16 quotes

Kofi Annan, an UN Secretary-General from 1997 to 2006, combined accomplishment with the ability to express hard-won truths in unforgettable language. Kofi Annan's observations on Society are as sharp as their thoughts on Power, revealing genuine breadth of mind. Discover 24 of Kofi Annan's most memorable quotes, ranging across Society, Power, Knowledge, Hope, and Freedom. To get a sense of their style, try: "Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family."

“Education is a human right with immense power to transform. On its foundation rest the cornerstones of freedom, democracy and sustainable human development.”

— Kofi Annan

Education

All Quotes by Kofi Annan

“We need to think of the future and the planet we are going to leave to our children and their children.”

— Kofi Annan

Future

“Education is a human right with immense power to transform. On its foundation rest the cornerstones of freedom, democracy and sustainable human development.”

— Kofi Annan

Education

“Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.”

— Kofi Annan

Education

“There is no development strategy more beneficial to society as a whole - women and men alike - than the one which involves women as central players.”

— Kofi Annan

Society

“Open markets offer the only realistic hope of pulling billions of people in developing countries out of abject poverty, while sustaining prosperity in the industrialized world.”

— Kofi Annan

History

“If information and knowledge are central to democracy, they are conditions for development.”

— Kofi Annan

Knowledge

“Many African leaders refuse to send their troops on peace keeping missions abroad because they probably need their armies to intimidate their own populations.”

— Kofi Annan

Peace

“The Lord had the wonderful advantage of being able to work alone.”

— Kofi Annan

Alone

“If one is going to err, one should err on the side of liberty and freedom.”

— Kofi Annan

Freedom

“I urge the Iraqi leadership for sake of its own people... to seize this opportunity and thereby begin to end the isolation and suffering of the Iraqi people.”

— Kofi Annan

Leadership

“Gender equality is more than a goal in itself. It is a precondition for meeting the challenge of reducing poverty, promoting sustainable development and building good governance.”

— Kofi Annan

Equality

“We need to keep hope alive and strive to do better.”

— Kofi Annan

Hope

“The question is the morning after. What sort of Iraq do we wake up to after the bombing? What happens in the region? What impact could it have? These are questions leaders I have spoken to have posed.”

— Kofi Annan

Morning

“Business, labor and civil society organizations have skills and resources that are vital in helping to build a more robust global community.”

— Kofi Annan

Society

“More countries have understood that women's equality is a prerequisite for development.”

— Kofi Annan

Equality

“In the 21st century, I believe the mission of the United Nations will be defined by a new, more profound awareness of the sanctity and dignity of every human life, regardless of race or religion.”

— Kofi Annan

Religion