Top 150 Kofi Annan Quotes (2025 Update)
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51. “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

52. “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

53. “In an era of globalisation, AIESEC’s programmes have helped young people around the world to develop a broader understanding of cultural socio-economic and business management issues.”

— Kofi Annan

54. “Fierce national competition over water resources has prompted fears that water issues contain the seeds of violent conflict.”

— Kofi Annan

55. “I am not afraid to dream. You first have to start with a dream. Build your castles in the air and give it foundation. Without a dream, you are not going to get anywhere.”

— Kofi Annan

56. “In an age where community involvement and partnerships with civil society are increasingly being recognized as indispensable, there is clearly a growing potential for cooperative development and renewal worldwide.”

— Kofi Annan

57. “Perhaps the single most successful international agreement to date has been the Montreal Protocol.”

— Kofi Annan

58. “The happiness of any society begins with the well being of the families that live in it.”

— Kofi Annan

59. “In an era of global abundance, our world has the resources to reduce dramatically the massive divides that persist between rich and poor, if only those resources can be unleashed in the service of all peoples.”

— Kofi Annan

60. “We were all children once. And we all share the desire for the well-being of our children, which has always been and will continue to be the most universally cherished aspiration of humankind.”

— Kofi Annan

61. “Drugs have destroyed many lives, but wrongheaded governmental policies have destroyed many more. I think it’s obvious that after 40 years of war on drugs, it has not worked. There should be decriminalization of drugs.”

— Kofi Annan

62. “On this International Literacy Day, let us recall that literacy for all is an integral part of education for all, and that both are critical for achieving truly sustainable development for all.”

— Kofi Annan

63. “We will not enjoy security without development, we will not enjoy development without security, and we will not enjoy either without respect for human rights.”

— Kofi Annan

64. “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

65. “If tolerance, respect and equity permeate family life, they will translate into values that shape societies, nations and the world.”

— Kofi Annan

66. “A developed country is one that allows all its citizens to enjoy a free and healthy life in a safe environment.”

— Kofi Annan

67. “The problem is not with the faith, but with the faithful.”

— Kofi Annan

68. “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.”

— Kofi Annan

69. “Insecurity is love dressed in a child’s clothing.”

— Kofi Annan

70. “Democracy is, in essence, a form of non-violent conflict management. If war is the worst enemy of development, healthy and balanced development is the best form of conflict prevention.”

— Kofi Annan

71. “If one is going to err, one should err on the side of liberty and freedom.”

— Kofi Annan

72. “Education is a human right with immense power to transform. On its foundation rest the cornerstones of freedom, democracy and sustainable human development.”

— Kofi Annan

73. “A United Nations that will not stand up for human rights is a United Nations that cannot stand up for itself.”

— Kofi Annan

74. “In their greatest hour of need, the world failed the people of Rwanda.”

— Kofi Annan

75. “To live is to choose.”

— Kofi Annan

76. “The war on drugs has failed in West Africa and around the world.”

— Kofi Annan

77. “Achieving the MDGs is not optional; it is an essential investment in a safer, more human and prosperous world.”

— Kofi Annan

78. “Any society that does not succeed in tapping into the energy and creativity of its youth will be left behind.”

— Kofi Annan

79. “Landmines are among the most barbaric weapons of war, because they continue to kill and maim innocent people long after the war itself has ended. Also, fear of them keeps people off the land, and thus prevents them from growing food.”

— Kofi Annan

80. “Let us work in partnerships between rich and poor to improve the opportunities of all human beings to build better lives.”

— Kofi Annan

81. “Young people must be included from birth. A society that cuts itself off from its youth severs its lifeline.”

— Kofi Annan

82. “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.”

— Kofi Annan

83. “If we are to make poverty history, we must have the active participation of States, civil society and the private sector, as well as individual volunteers.”

— Kofi Annan

84. “Children are our future, and their mothers are its guardians.”

— Kofi Annan

85. “You can do a lot with diplomacy, but with diplomacy backed up by force you can get a lot more done.”

— Kofi Annan

86. “This is a day on which we pay our respects to those who have endured the unimaginable. This is an occasion for the world to speak up against the unspeakable. It is long overdue that a day be dedicated to remembering and supporting the many victims and survivors of torture around the world.”

— Kofi Annan

87. “We have the means and the capacity to deal with our problems, if only we can find the political will.”

— Kofi Annan

88. “Unless the Security Council is restored to its pre-eminent position as the sole source of legitimacy on the use of force, we are on a dangerous path to anarchy.”

— Kofi Annan

89. “Under international law, the responsibility for protecting civilians in conflict falls on the belligerents. Under military occupation, responsibility for the welfare of the population falls on the occupiers.”

— Kofi Annan

90. “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

91. “We can love what we are, without hating what, and who, we are not.”

— Kofi Annan

92. “The global work of the United Nations is not without reason compared to that of a family – striving for a common goal in concert with all members for a better future.”

— Kofi Annan

93. “Access to a secure, safe and sufficient source of fresh water is a fundamental requirement for the survival, well-being and socio-economic development of all humanity. Yet, we continue to act as if fresh water were a perpetually abundant resource. It is not.”

— Kofi Annan

94. “Poverty devastates families, communities and nations. It causes instability and political unrest and fuels conflict.”

— Kofi Annan

95. “Business, labor and civil society organizations have skills and resources that are vital in helping to build a more robust global community.”

— Kofi Annan

96. “It is impossible to realize our goals while discriminating against half the human race. As study after study has taught us, there is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women.”

— Kofi Annan

97. “The Lord had the wonderful advantage of being able to work alone.”

— Kofi Annan

98. “The number one goal in resolving a conflict is to make sure both sides maintain their self-esteem. You don’t hit a man on the head when you’ve got your fingers between his teeth.”

— Kofi Annan

99. “The world has lost a visionary leader, a courageous voice for justice, and a clear moral compass. By showing us that the path to freedom and human dignity lies in love, wisdom and compassion for one another, Nelson Mandela stands as an inspiration to us all.”

— Kofi Annan

100. “The US-led invasion of Iraq was an illegal act that contravened the UN charter.”

— Kofi Annan