Quotessence
Home / Authors / Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan

Kofi Annan Quotes

Diplomat

Filter quotes by topic

AllWorldPeopleHumansIfsDevelopmentNationsNeedsCountryRightsSecurityHuman RightsThinkingInternationalPovertyStatesUnitedUnited NationsWarWellsShould

Famous Kofi Annan Quotes

“Depending on where you live, your threat is much different from the other person. If you ask a New Yorker today, because of the way the press plays it, he will say terrorism is his biggest fear. But for somebody living on a small island state, then it is climate change, the rise of the sea level, for his whole island may be washed away. If I go to southern Africa, they tell me it is HIV/AIDS and somewhere in Asia it is poverty. This is also why you will find it difficult to find agreements, because if you want someone to be concerned about your threat, then you should be concerned about his.”

IfsWayWantShouldMayPersonsDifferentStatesPlayWholeTodayAsksDifficultLevelsPovertySeaConcernedPressesThreatClimateClimate ChangeTerrorismAidsIslandsAgreementSouthernAsiaHivNew YorkersLiving OnHiv AidsWhere You LiveBiggest FearSouthern Africa
Author:Kofi Annan
Create image

“...let us recognize that extreme poverty anywhere is a threat to human security everywhere. Let us recall that poverty is a denial of human rights. For the first time in history, in this age of unprecedented wealth and technical prowess, we have the power to save humanity from this shameful scourge. Let us summon the will to do it.”

FirstsHumansAgeTimeHumanityWealthPovertyRightsSecurityFirst TimeThreatHuman RightsExtremesDenialRecallsShamefulUnprecedentedScourgeEnding PovertyProwessExtreme PovertyWorld PovertyWealth And Poverty
Author:Kofi Annan
Create image

“The past year's natural disasters have highlighted the invaluable contributions of volunteers in our communities. They have volunteered their time, energy and skills to save lives and to rebuild communities. In this they joined countless people around the world who volunteer every day in response to 'silent crises'. These often unsung heroes understand all too well that poverty, disease and famine are just as deadly and destructive as earthquakes, hurricanes and tsunamis.”

PeopleWorldYearsWellsHelpingPastEnergyCommunityNaturalPovertyHeroSkillsDiseaseCrisisSilentResponseHelping OthersDisasterAround The WorldContributionDestructiveVolunteerHurricanesEarthquakesFamineOur CommunityVolunteerismInvaluableSave A LifeNatural DisasterTsunamiUnsung Hero
Author:Kofi Annan
Create image

“For too long the development debate has ignored the fact that poverty tends to be characterized not only by material insufficiency but also by denial of rights. What is needed is a rights-based approach to development. Ensuring essential political, economic and social entitlements and human dignity for all people provides the rationale for policy. These are not a luxury affordable only to the rich and powerful but an indispensable component of national development efforts.”

PeopleHumansLongFactsPoliticalSocialPowerfulEffortPovertyRichRightsEconomicPolicyMaterialsDevelopmentNeededEssentialsApproachDignityHuman RightsDebateLuxuryDenialIgnoredIndispensableComponentsEntitlementAffordableHuman DignityRationaleInsufficiency
Author:Kofi Annan
Create image

“These often unsung heroes understand...that poverty, disease and famine are just as deadly and destructive as earthquakes, hurricanes and tsunamis. Individuals ...are taking on these challenges in their communities, volunteering to make a difference. They remain the true champions of our work towards the Millennium Development Goals.”

IndividualGoalCommunityChallengesDifferencesPovertyDevelopmentHeroDiseaseChampionMaking A DifferenceDestructiveVolunteerHurricanesEarthquakesFamineMillenniumTsunamiTrue ChampionUnsung HeroMillennium Development Goals
Author:Kofi Annan
Create image

“Literacy is a bridge from misery to hope. It is a tool for daily life in modern society. It is a bulwark against poverty, and a building block of development... For everyone, everywhere, literacy is, along with education in general, a basic human right.... Literacy is, finally, the road to human progress and the means through which every man, woman and child can realize his or her full potential.”

MenHumansMeanChildrenRealizingPovertyProgressModernBuildingDevelopmentToolsMiseryEvery ManBlockBridgesDaily LifeLiteracyMen WomenModern SocietyFull PotentialHuman ProgressDamsBuilding BlocksDemocratizationEducation And LiteracyLiteracy And ChildrenModern EducationLiteracy For ChildrenBasic Education
Author:Kofi Annan
Create image

“Literacy is a bridge from misery to hope. It is a tool for daily life in modern society. It is a bulwark against poverty, and a building block of development, an essential complement to investments in roads, dams, clinics and factories.”

PovertyModernBuildingDevelopmentEssentialsToolsMiseryInvestmentBlockBridgesDaily LifeFactoriesLiteracyModern SocietyFull PotentialComplementClinicDamsBuilding BlocksDemocratizationEducation And LiteracyModern Education
Book:The quotable Kofi Annan: selections from speeches and statements by the Secretary-General
Create image