Kofi Atta Annan was a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations. He and the United Nations were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in December of 2001 “for their work for a better organized and more peaceful world.” Inspirational Kofi Annan quotes will motivate you to improve your own life and help improve the lives of others.
If you’re searching for deep quotes by Nobel Peace Prize Winners that perfectly capture what you’d like to say or just want to feel inspired yourself, browse through an amazing collection of insightful Nelson Mandela quotes, wise Martin Luther King Jr. quotes, and meaningful Dalai Lama quotes.
Most Famous Kofi Annan Quotes
Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family. Where On Earth Are We Going?
Education is a human right with immense power to transform. On its foundation rest the cornerstones of freedom, democracy and sustainable human development.
Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.
To live is to choose. But to choose well, you must know who you are and what you stand for, where you want to go and why you want to get there.
Education is a human right with immense power to transform. Confronting Anti Semitism
More than ever before in human history, we share a common destiny. We can master it only if we face it together. And that, my friends, is why we have the United Nations.
Education is the premise of success. Basic Facts About The United Nations
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.
We may have different religions, different languages, different colored skin, but we all belong to one human race.
We must ensure that the global market is embedded in broadly shared values and practices that reflect global social needs, and that all the world’s people share the benefits of globalization.
To live is to choose. But to choose well, you must know who you are and what you stand for, where you want to go and why you want to get there.
In their greatest hour of need, the world failed the people of Rwanda.
Young people should be at the forefront of global change and innovation. Empowered, they can be key agents for development and peace. If, however, they are left on society’s margins, all of us will be impoverished. Let us ensure that all young people have every opportunity to participate fully in the lives of their societies.
If we can come up with innovations and train young people to take on new jobs, and if we can switch to clean energy, I think we have the capacity to build this world not dependent on fossil-fuel. I think it will happen, and it won’t destroy economy.
We don’t need any more promises. We need to start keeping the promises we already made.
Business, labor and civil society organizations have skills and resources that are vital in helping to build a more robust global community.
The future belongs to you, but it can only belong to you if you participate and take charge.
What governments and people don’t realise is that sometimes the collective interest the international interest is also the national interest.
We need to promote greater tolerance and understanding among the peoples of the world. Nothing can be more dangerous to our efforts to build peace and development than a world divided along religious, ethnic, or cultural lines. In each nation, and among all nations, we must work to promote unity based on our shared humanity.
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.
You are never too young to lead, and you should never doubt your capacity to triumph where others have not.
We cannot wait for governments to do it all. Globalization operates on Internet time. Governments tend to be slow moving by nature, because they have to build political support for every step.
There is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women.
The United Nations, whose membership comprises almost all the states in the world, is founded on the principle of the equal worth of every human being.
We can love what we are without hating what and who we are not.
More than ever before in human history, we share a common destiny. We can master it only if we face it together. And that, my friends, is why we have the United Nations.
Ignorance and prejudice are the handmaidens of propaganda. Our mission, therefore, is to confront ignorance with knowledge, bigotry with tolerance, and isolation with the outstretched hand of generosity. Racism can and must be defeated.
We must ensure that the global market is embedded in broadly shared values and practices that reflect global social needs, and that all the world’s people share the benefits of globalization.
We may have different religions, different colored skin, but we all belong to one human race.
If we can come up with innovations and train young people to take on new jobs, and if we can switch to clean energy, I think we have the capacity to build this world not dependent on fossil fuel. I think it will happen, and it won’t destroy economy.
To live is to choose. But to choose well, you must know who you are and what you stand for, where you want to go and why you want to get there.
What governments and people don’t realise is that sometimes the collective interest the international interest is also the national interest.
Education is a human right with immense power to transform. On its foundation rest the cornerstones of freedom, democracy, and sustainable human development.
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.
We have the means and the capacity to deal with our problems if only we can find the political will.
If information and knowledge are central to democracy, they are conditions for development.
If one is going to err, one should err on the side of liberty and freedom.
We cannot wait for governments to do it all. Globalization operates on Internet time. Governments tend to be slow moving by nature, because they have to build political support for every step.
I am often asked what can people do to become a good global citizen. I reply that it begins in your own community.
The United Nations, whose membership comprises almost all the states in the world, is founded on the principle of the equal worth of every human being.
Let us be good stewards of the Earth we inherited. All of us have to share the Earth’s fragile ecosystems and precious resources, and each of us has a role to play in preserving them. If we are to go on living together on this earth, we must all be responsible for it.
We may have different religions, different languages, different colored skin, but we all belong to one human race.
The happiness of any society begins with the well-being of the families that livin it.
More countries have understood that women’s equality is a prerequisite for development. Kofi Annan
You are never too young to lead.
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
The world is not ours to keep. We hold it in trust for future generations.
Gender equality is critical to the development and peace of every nation. Kofi Annan
Our biggest challenge in this new century is to take an idea that seems abstract sustainable development and turn it into a reality for all the world’s people
Can the state, which represents the whole of society and has the duty of protecting society, fulfill that duty by lowering itself to the level of the murderer, and treating him as he treated others? The forfeiture of life is too absolute, too irreversible, for one human being to inflict it on another, even when backed by legal process. Kofi Annan
When women thrive, all of society benefits, and succeeding generations are given a better start in life.
If our hopes of building a better and safer world are to become more than wishful thinking, we will need the engagement of volunteers more than ever. Kofi Annan
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.
The message should be clear, climate change must take its place along those threats like conflict, poverty. Kofi Annan
Violence against women is perhaps the most shameful human rights violation, perhaps the most pervasive. It knows no boundaries of geography, culture, or wealth. As long as it continues, we cannot claim to be making real progress towards equality, development, and peace.
The right to development is the measure of the respect of all other human rights.That should be our aim: a situation in which all individuals are enabled to maximize their potential, and to contribute to the evolution of society as a whole. Kofi Annan
We need to create a world that is equitable, that is stable, and a world where we bear in mind the needs of others, and not only what we need immediately. We are all in the same boat.
Human rights education is much more than a lesson in schools or a theme for a day; it is a process to equip people with the tools they need to live lives of security and dignity.
More countries have understood that women’s equality is a prerequisite for development.
The right to development is the measure of the respect of all other human rights.That should be our aim: a situation in which all individuals are enabled to maximize their potential, and to contribute to the evolution of society as a whole.
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.
Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family. Kofi Annan
We may have different religions, different languages, different colored skin, but we all belong to one human race.
Business, labor and civil society organizations have skills and resources that are vital in helping to build a more robust global community. Kofi Annan
There is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women.
No one is born a good citizen; no nation is born a democracy. Rather, both are processes that continue to evolve over a lifetime. Young people must be included from birth. A society that cuts off from its youth severs its lifeline. Kofi Annan
Gender equality is critical to the development and peace of every nation.
For everyone, everywhere, literacy is, along with education in general, a basic human right. Kofi Annan
We are not only all responsible for each other’s security. We are also, in some measure, responsible for each other’s welfare.
Literacy unlocks the door to learning throughout life, is essential to development and health, and opens the way for democratic participation and active citizenship. Kofi Annan
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.
When women thrive, all of society benefits, and succeeding generations are given a better start in life. Kofi Annan
If you have a problem and you can’t find a solution, you meet again tomorrow, and you keep talking until you find a solution. You can disagree with behavior or a particular position, but you do not resort to calling an opponent worthless.
Refugees cannot be stopped, but they can and must be managed better, more humanely, protecting migrants’ human rights whilst accepting states’ rights to control their borders. Kofi Annan
We can thrive in our own tradition, even as we learn from others, and come to respect their teachings.
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
We need to promote greater tolerance and understanding among the peoples of the world. Nothing can be more dangerous to our efforts to build peace and development than a world divided along religious, ethnic, or cultural lines. In each nation, and among all nations, we must work to promote unity based on our shared humanity.
It has been said that arguing against globalization is like arguing against the laws of gravity. Kofi Annan
You are never too young to lead, and you should never doubt your capacity to triumph where others have not.
Unfortunately, very few governments think about youth unemployment when they are drawing up their national plans. Kofi Annan
No one is born a good citizen or a good democrat or a good leader; it takes time and education.
On climate change, we often don’t fully appreciate that it is a problem. We think it is a problem waiting to happen. Kofi Annan
We need to keep hope alive and strive to do better.
Man doesn’t know what he is capable of until he is asked. Kofi Annan
Without a dream, you’ll not get anywhere.
The preservation of biodiversity is not just a job for governments. International and non governmental organisations, the private sector and each and every individual have a role to play in changing entrenched outlooks and ending destructive patterns of behaviour. Kofi Annan
The Lord had the wonderful advantage of being able to work alone.
Our biggest challenge in this new century is to take an idea that seems abstract sustainable development and turn it into a reality for all the world’s people. Kofi Annan
Insecurity is love dressed in a child’s clothing.
All our efforts to defeat poverty and pursue sustainable development will be in vain if environmental degradation and natural resource depletion continue unabated. Kofi Annan
You have to wake up every day ready to start again.
We need to think of the future and the planet we are going to leave to our children and their children.
Education is, quite simply, peace building by another name. It is the most effective form of defense spending there is.
We have the means and the capacity to deal with our problems, if only we can find the political will.
In this new century, we must start from the understanding that peace belongs not only to states or peoples but to each and every member of those communities. The sovereignty of States must no longer be used as a shield for gross violations of human rights.
In the rush for justice it is important not to lose sight of principles the country holds dear.
People of different religions and cultures live side by side in almost every part of the world, and most of us have overlapping identities which unite us with very different groups.
