FOSDA mourns Kofi Annan

“The world has lost one of its best citizens who dedicated to its wellbeing, peace and security with an incomparable commitment,” the Foundation for Security and Development in Africa (FOSDA) has stated, in mourning Ghana’s illustrious son, Kofi Annan.

Mrs Theodora Williams Anti, the Project Manager of FOSDA, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency said: "Our work as FOSDA has been inspired and motivated by the likes of Mr Kofi Annan.

"His passion for peace, human rights and the humanitarian cause in general motivates us to continue in our quest for a peaceful and just world where all citizens have free and equal opportunities to fully achieve their potentials," she said.

FOSDA is a regional civil society organisation.

Mrs Anti noted that the seventh United-Secretary General’s boldness to accept and correct the mistakes of the world body made the organisation a better one in responding to conflict.

"We were not surprised, therefore, that Mr Annan fought hard to overturn sovereignty where necessary and make the international community take responsibility for all citizens in all nations through the Right to Protect Bill," Mrs Anti said.

"He stood against mass destruction weapons, such as Nuclear Weapons, and supported youth development with a passion."

“FOSDA would sorely miss the gentle soul of Mr Annan”, she declared, but his legacies would continue to inspire, motivate and urge us on to keep the fight for a peaceful and just world.”

A three-day state funeral of Mr Annan is underway at the Accra International Conference Centre.

Mr Annan passed away on August 18, in the Swiss city of Berne, after a brief illness.

He and the UN were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize.

Born in Kumasi, he joined the UN in 1962, working for the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Office in Geneva.

He then went to serve in various capacities at the UN Headquarters including serving as Under Secretary-General for peacekeeping from March 1992 to December 1996.

He was appointed the UN Chief in December 1996 by the Security Council and later confirmed by the General Assembly, becoming the first office holder to be elected from the UN staff itself.

Mr Annan was re-elected for a second term in 2001 and was succeeded by South Korea’s Ban Ki-moon on January 01, 2007.

As Secretary-General, he worked to reform the UN bureaucracy, combat the deadly HIV spread, especially in Africa and launched the UN Global Compact.

He also initiated the Millennium Development Goals towards improving the lots of the poor around the world.

After serving out his term, he formed the Kofi Annan Foundation in 2007 to work on international development, peace and humanitarianism.

He was also the Chairman of “The Elders”, an international organisation founded by Nelson Mandela.

In 2012, Mr Annan became the UN-Arab League Joint Special Representative for Syria, to aid efforts at resolving the bloody conflict there but quit over his frustration with the lack of progress with regard to conflict resolution.

He was appointed to lead a UN Commission to investigate the Rohingya crisis in September 2016.

Mr Annan studied Economics at Macalester College – International Relations from the Graduate Institute Geneva and Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

He was survived by his wife Nane Marie Lagergren and their Children, Ama, Kojo and Nina.