Kofi Annan was a titan of diplomacy - Jon Benjamin

Former United Kingdom Ambassador to Ghana, Jon Benjamin has described former United Nations General Secretary, Kofi Annan as a ‘titan of diplomacy’.

The UK diplomat paid a glowing tribute to Kofi Annan, following news of the latter’s demise on Saturday, August 18, 2018.

Posting a group picture of himself and the late Kofi Annan on Twitter, Jon Benjamin wrote: “Remembering wonderful times in Ghana with Kofi Annan - a titan of diplomacy and a huge loss to humanity. Knowing him was a great gift. RIP #KofiAnnan”.

Kofi Annan died in Geneva, Switzerland after a short illness. He served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1997 to December 2006.

Mr. Annan and the UN were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize. He was the founder and chairman of the Kofi Annan Foundation, as well as chairman of The Elders, an international organization founded by Nelson Mandela.

Remembering wonderful times in Ghana with Kofi Annan - a titan of diplomacy and a huge loss to humanity. Knowing him was a great gift. RIP #KofiAnnan pic.twitter.com/B8HpJoomNp

— (((Jon Benjamin))) (@JonBenjamin19) August 18, 2018

He joined the UN in 1962, working for the World Health Organization's Geneva office. He went on to work in several capacities at the UN Headquarters including serving as the Under-Secretary-General for peacekeeping between March 1992 and December 1996.

He was appointed as the Secretary-General on 13 December 1996 by the Security Council and later confirmed by the General Assembly, making him the first officeholder to be elected from the UN staff itself. He was re-elected for a second term in 2001 and was succeeded as Secretary-General by Ban Ki-moon on 1 January 2007.