ANNAN, KOFI

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06813850
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: March 9, 2023
• Document Release Date: August 12, 2020
• Case Number: F-2018-02369
• Publication Date: June 4, 1998

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Kofi ANNAN
(Phonetic: ANen)
(b)(3) Secretary General, UN (since January 1997)
Addressed as: Mr. Secretary General
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Kofi Annan's confidence level has soared with
the endorsement of his Track II reform initiatives
by the UN General Assembly in December and his
widely popular diplomatic efforts in Iraq. During
his first year as UN Secretary General
Annan has grown
to a dynamic, proactive
leader of the 185-member organization by drawing
heavily on his strengths as a savvy, disarming
negotiator and as an organized, progressive
manager. His success in defusing the Iraq crisis
h'as reinforced his belief in the power of diplomacy
and his willingness to act more independently from
powerful member states
Moreover, Annan s sophisticated
representation of the UN to the public continues to
increase international awareness and support for
the organization's activities. Nevertheless, with '
his reform package still in its early stages, the UN
hovering on the verge of bankruptcy, and diplo-
macy in Iraq still vulnerable to rising tensions,
Annan's ffreatest challenges may lie ahead.
Reform: Will Annan Continue To Deliver?
Annan has only begun to tackle the formidable
challenges of bringing his reform initiatives to
completion For example,
although he recently finished naming high-level
officials to vacant and newly created Secretariat
positions, many of these individuals, including
Deputy Secretary General Louise Frechette, still
lack clear mandates and are struggling to define
their roles In
addition Annan's abolition of the
Department for Humanitarian Affairs and creation
of the new Office for the Coordination of
GHANA
Stepping Up UN Antinarcotic Efforts
Annan and other senior UN officials want
the June UN General Assembly Special
Session to add significant momentum to
coordinated international efforts against illicit
� drugs and associated criminal activities, such
as money laundering
Annan's efforts to reform the UN
over the past year have included measures
aimed at strengthening its drug and crime
programs:
� Last June, Annan appointed an inter-
nationally recognized expert on crime,
former Italian Senator Arlacchi, to lead the
UN's crime and drug agencies.
� In March 1998, Annan tasked a panel of
international experts to develop
recommendations for consideration at the
June special session that would reinforce
the UN's drug control activities.
Humanitarian Affair exist more on
paper than in reality.
� Nevertheless, Annan has made some progress in
implementing certain reform initiatives. His push
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LP 98-106534
4 June 1998
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to update the UN's information systems has
resulted in better communication between UN
offices and has served to increase public awareness
of the UN's role in the international community,
lAnnan's call
to reorganize and streamline large bureaucratic
departments�by merging two departments to form
a leaner Department for Economic and Social
Affairs, for example--has made-the organization
more budget conscious and more willing to address
management concerns. As Annan moves to
implement tougher reform measures, however, he
most likely will face increased pressure and
criticism from UN bureaucrats and member states
who perceive that reform is coming at their
expense
Gentle but Firm
Annan
has openly admitted he does not
always enjoy the pressures of "juggling so many
decisions," and he has told the media that he knows
he cannot please everyone. Nevertheless, he
considers himself a man of results who can
produce them "without being necessarily nasty to
others."
A Seasoned Troubleshooter
Annan has adeptly handled a variety of
international matters throughout his UN career.
His experience and contacts from his days as
director of the UN Peacekeeping Department have
helped him oversee the UN's role in trouble spots
that include the Great Lakes region, the Balkans,
Cyprus, Guatemala, Sierra Leone, and Iraq. His
policy focus has largely been on non-European
issues, particularly related to humanitarian-refugee
assistance, political stability, and economic
development in Africa and other developing
regions. In a powerful speech to African leaders at
the OAU summit in early June 1997, he challenged
them to advance constitutional order, human
(b)(3) rights, and sustainable development.
Career Highlights
1963 Began UN career, World Health
Organization, Geneva.
1965-71 Administrative officer, then chief of
personnel section, Economic
Commission for Africa, Addis Ababa.
1974-76 Left UN to manage koVerninent-bwried
Ghana Tourist Development Company.
1976-80 Returned to UN as deputy chief of staff
services, Office of Personnel Services.
1980-84 Deputy director of administration
directorate, UN High Commissioner for
Refugees, Geneva.
1984-86 Named director of the budget, UN Office
of Financial Services.
1986-90 Promoted to assistant secretary general
for human resource management.
1990-92 UN comptroller and director, Office of
Program, Planning, Budget, and Finance.
1992-93 Assistant secretary general, Office of
Peacekeeping Operations.
1993-96 Director, Department for Peacekeeping
Operations.
Dec
1996 Elected UN Secretary General.
Personal Notes
Annan was born a twin on 8 April 1938 near
Kumasi, Ghana. He has studied at the University
of Science and Technology in Ghana (1958-59),
Macalester College in Minnesota (1959-61), the
International Institute of Higher Studies in
Switzerland (1961-62), and the Sloan School of
Management at MIT (1971-72). Annan speaks
excellent English, French, and several African
languages, including Twi and Fante. His first
marriage to a Nigerian ended in divorce. In 1994
he married Nane Lagergren, a Swedish national
who is the niece of Raoul Wallenberg. The couple
has three adult children. from previous marriages.
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