Top 150 Kofi Annan Quotes (2024 Update)

1. “Literacy is a bridge from misery to hope.”

— Kofi Annan

2. “Education is the great equalizer of our time. It gives hope to the hopeless and creates chances for those without...”

— Kofi Annan

3. “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.”

— Kofi Annan

4. “For everyone, everywhere, literacy is, along with education in general, a basic human right.”

— Kofi Annan

5. “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.”

— Kofi Annan

6. “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

7. “We may have different religions, different languages, different colored skin, but we all belong to one human race.”

— Kofi Annan

8. “When women thrive, all of society benefits, and succeeding generations are given a better start in life.”

— Kofi Annan

9. “Young people should be at the forefront of global change and innovation. Empowered, they can be key agents for development and peace.”

— Kofi Annan

10. “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

11. “The future of peace and prosperity that we seek for all the world’s peoples needs a foundation of tolerance, security, equality and justice.”

— Kofi Annan

12. “Microfinance is an idea whose time has come.”

— Kofi Annan

13. “No one is born a good citizen or a good democrat or a good leader; it takes time and education.”

— Kofi Annan

14. “Education is, quite simply, peace-building by another name. It is the most effective form of defense spending there is.”

— Kofi Annan

15. “You are never too young to lead.”

— Kofi Annan

16. “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.”

— Kofi Annan

17. “You are never too young to lead and you should never doubt your capacity to triumph where others have not.”

— Kofi Annan

18. “Education is a human right with immense power to transform.”

— Kofi Annan

19. “Have confidence in the young people, give them a chance, and they will surprise you.”

— Kofi Annan

20. “Violence against women is perhaps the most shameful human rights violation, and it is 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.”

— Kofi Annan

21. “Access to safe water is a fundamental human need and therefore a basic human right.”

— Kofi Annan

22. “Extreme poverty anywhere is a threat to human security everywhere.”

— Kofi Annan

23. “Women themselves have the right to live in dignity, in freedom from want and freedom from fear. On this International Women’s Day, let us rededicate ourselves to making that a reality.”

— Kofi Annan

24. “I am often asked what can people do to become a good global citizen? I reply that it begins in your own community.”

— Kofi Annan

25. “I often quote an African proverb that says: “The world is not ours, the earth is not ours, It’s a treasure we hold in trust for future generations.” And I often hope we will be worthy of that trust.”

— Kofi Annan

26. “Globalization is a fact of life. But I believe we have underestimated its fragility.”

— Kofi Annan

27. “It is my aspiration that health finally will be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for.”

— Kofi Annan

28. “It has been said that arguing against globalization is like arguing against the laws of gravity.”

— Kofi Annan

29. “To educate girls is to reduce poverty.”

— Kofi Annan

30. “On this International Day of Peace, let us dare to imagine a world free of conflict and violence.”

— Kofi Annan

31. “The World is not ours to keep. We hold it in trust for future generations.”

— Kofi Annan

32. “Tolerance, inter-cultural dialogue and respect for diversity are more essential than ever in a world where peoples are becoming more and more closely interconnected.”

— Kofi Annan

33. “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

34. “You have to wake up every day ready to start again.”

— Kofi Annan

35. “We need to keep hope alive and strive to do better.”

— Kofi Annan

36. “A citizen of the world in the fullest sense – one whose vision and culture gave him a deep empathy with fellow human beings of every creed and color.”

— Kofi Annan

37. “Microfinance recognizes that poor people are remarkable reservoirs of energy and knowledge.”

— Kofi Annan

38. “Peace is never a perfect achievement.”

— Kofi Annan

39. “We need to think of the future and the planet we are going to leave to our children and their children.”

— Kofi Annan

40. “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.”

— Kofi Annan

41. “If globalization is to succeed, it must succeed for poor and rich alike. It must deliver rights no less than riches. It must provide social justice and equity no less than economic prosperity and enhanced communication.”

— Kofi Annan

42. “Acquiring literacy is an empowering process, enabling millions to enjoy access to knowledge and information which broadens horizons, increases opportunities and creates alternatives for building a better life.”

— Kofi Annan

43. “Without a dream you’ll not get anywhere.”

— Kofi Annan

44. “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

45. “Children are our future and if we use them in battle, we are destroying the future. We must reclaim them, every one of them, one at a time.”

— Kofi Annan

46. “I urge you to celebrate the extraordinary courage and contributions of refugees past and present.”

— Kofi Annan

47. “On this International Day of Peace, let us all honor those who have suffered from violence. Let us hold in our hearts the ideal of peace.”

— Kofi Annan

48. “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, will, and must be defeated.”

— Kofi Annan

49. “We shall not defeat any of the infectious diseases that plague the developing world until we have also won the battle for safe drinking water, sanitation, and basic health care.”

— Kofi Annan

50. “The future belongs to you, but it can only belong to you if you participate and take charge.”

— Kofi Annan