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Kofi Annan: The Dynamic Secretary General

Until recently when he relinquished his post to his successor Ban Ki-moon (the current Secretary General of The United Nations), Kofi Annan was the man of the moment, the man at the helm of it all, presiding over the job of ultimate responsibility from January 1997 to December 2006.

By Ipsita Baishya
Until recently when he relinquished his post to his successor Ban ki-moon (the current Secretary General of The United Nations), Kofi Annan was the man of the moment, the man at the helm of it all, presiding over the job of ultimate responsibility from January 1997 to December 2006.In that context his immense contribution in the public sphere and the UN in particular holds great relevance. Annan was the first person to emerge from the ranks of United Nations staff and also the first from a black African nation, Ghana to serve as Secretary-General. The Charter describes the Secretary-General as "The chief administrative officer" of the Organization, who shall act in that capacity and perform "such other functions as are entrusted" to him or her by the Security Council, General Assembly, Economic and Social Council and other United Nations’ organs. Annan though described by friends and associates as a soft-spoken man known for dispensing his role with utmost dynamism and often with tangible results vis-à-vis the various tasks competing for his attention. In an interview with the BBC, he said, “I'm not one of those who believes that you have to pound the table or shout to be tough.” Diplomatic Milestones Annan has played his diplomatic card quite successfully. In 1998, he was instrumental in implementing civilian rule in Nigeria. In the same year, he went to Iraq in an effort to resolve a stalemate between over compliance with resolutions involving weapons inspections and other matters -- an initiative that averted an outbreak of hostilities at that time. In 1999, he can be largely credited for the emancipation of Timor-Leste gained from Indonesia. He was responsible for enabling Israel 's withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000, and in 2006,it was through his efforts that hostilities between Israel and Hizbollah were dissolved. Also in 2006, he acted as a mediator of resolving the crisis between Cameroon and Nigeria over the Bakassi peninsula through implementation of the judgement of the International Court of Justice. The Secretary-General was known for his relentless initiatives in strengthening partnerships with civil society, the private sector and others outside of government. His "Global Compact" initiative, launched in 1999, has become the world's largest effort to promote corporate social responsibility. It was under Annan's leadership that, in 2005,two new intergovernmental bodies were established: the Peacebuilding Commission and the Human Rights Council. He played a pivotal role in the initiation of a Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, the adoption of the UN's first-ever counter-terrorism strategy, and the agreement by Member States of the "responsibility to protect" people from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. Moreover, the post of The Deputy Secretary-General was established by the General Assembly at the end of 1997 during Annan's tenure as part of the reform of the United Nations, to help manage Secretariat operations and to ensure coherence of activities and programmes. For Annan, heading the UN was more than a mere job. In his own words, “Service with the United Nations is more than just a job. It is a calling. No one joins the Secretariat to become rich and famous.” Formative years Annan's elevation to the highest position has to be seen in the perspective of his early years when he left Africa for the first time on being spotted by a Ford Foundation talent scout earning a full scholarship to Macalester College, a small, liberal arts college in St. Paul in the United States. There he completed his undergraduate work in economics in 1961. From 1961 to 1962, he undertook graduate studies in economics in Geneva. As a 1971- 1972 Sloan Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Annan received a Master of Science degree in management. Annan joined the UN in 1962 He never expected or aspired to be The Secretary-General. As he is known to have confessed to a journalist, “I figured that after my schooling I would make some money in the business world, then I would -- at, say 45 -- enter politics in Ghana and help develop the country.” In fact Annan did not campaign for the position and simply said: "If it's to come to me, it will; if not, it won't." However destiny had this surprise package in store for him and he became The Secretary General. After several vetoes from the French -- who championed Boutros-Ghali -- the Security Council finally came to a consensus and nominated Annan. The General Assembly elected Annan as the UN's seventh Secretary-General who immediately rose to the challenge. And the rest was history. In his acceptance speech he said, "Applaud us when we prevail, correct us when we fail; but, above all, do not let this indispensable, irreplaceable institution wither, languish or perish as a result of Member States' indifference, inattention or financial starvation." His share of controversies It would be too facile to assume that Annan was never put to the test.He courted a few controversies while holding office.In June 2004, he was given a copy of the Office of Internal Oversight Services report on the complaint of sexual harassment abuse of authority, and retaliation against UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Ruud Lubbers. However,Lubbers was declared innocent by Kofi Annan .But OIOS in its annual report to the UN General Assembly found Lubbers guilty, a development which weakened Annan's position. Another incident spelling trouble for Annan was in December 2004 when reports surfaced that the Secretary-General's son Kojo received payments from a Swiss company which won a lucrative contract under the UN Oil-for-Food-Program. Kofi Annan called for an investigation into this matter.The Independent Inquiry Committee was led by former US Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker.The committee cleared Annan of illegal actions, but found irregularities with the UN management structure and the Security Council oversight. Some believe the committee and its outcome to have been politically motivated. Kofi Annan also drew flak for supporting his deputy Secretary-General Mark Malloch Brown,who openly criticized segments of the United States media in a speech in 2006.But these anomalies are just like a drop in the ocean and unfazed Annan soldiered on.And laurels followed. Acme of recognition In 2001, the Nobel Committee conferred the Nobel Peace prize on Kofi Annan, who shared the Prize with the UN, for "bringing new life" to the UN and for his ability to rise to new challenges such as AIDS and international terrorism. It is a known fact that the UN has many a time been criticized for being toothless and ineffective in front of the superpowers. Commenting on the invasion of Iraq in an interview to the BBC, Annan could express his condemnation in only so many words: "I have indicated it was not in conformity with the UN charter from our point of view but from the charter point of view, it was illegal." But such an instance in no way discounts or defeats the very existence of the world body. Perhaps the sheer importance of the UN's quest for an utopian peace can be best summed up in Kofi Annan's own words: "In a world filled with weapons of war and all too often words of war, the Nobel Committee has become a vital agent for peace. Sadly, a prize for peace is a rarity in this world. Most nations have monuments or memorials to war and bronze salutations to heroic battles. But peace has no parade and no pantheon of victory. What it does have is the Nobel Prize – a statement of hope and courage with unique resonance and authority. Only by understanding and addressing the needs of individuals for peace, for dignity, and for security can we at the United Nations hope to live up to the honour conferred today, and fulfill the vision of our founders. This is the broad mission of peace that United Nations’ staff members carry out every day in every part of the world ".