Statement Attributable to the Spokesperson for the High Representative
for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations
on the passing of former Secretary-General Mr. Kofi Annan
New York – 19 August, 2018
The High Representative of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations is deeply saddened by the passing of former United Nations Secretary-General and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Mr. Kofi Annan on Saturday 18 August 2018.
Mr. Annan, a Ghanaian national, and the first black African to head the United Nations, was deeply respected by all who knew and worked with him. He left an unforgettable legacy through his work at the United Nations. In 2005 he established the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations as his political initiative with the co-sponsorship of the Governments of Spain and Turkey, to build bridges of understanding and foster dialogue among peoples across diverse cultures and religions and to help counter the forces that fuel polarization, discrimination and extremism.
The High Representative had the privilege of working with him during his tenure as Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar, and later in 2012 when Mr. Annan assumed the special role of the UN and League of Arab States Envoy to Syria. The High Representative was then the President of the 66th session of the General Assembly.
Mr. Annan will be greatly missed and remembered as an exceptional figure, and a pillar of peace and justice.
On behalf of UNAOC, the High Representative extends his deepest sympathies to the family and close friends of Mr. Kofi Annan.