Kofi Annan, a charismatic global diplomat and the first black African to become United Nations secretary general who led the world body through one of its most turbulent periods, died early Saturday at age 80.
Tributes flowed in from around the world after his foundation announced his death in the Swiss capital, Bern, citing a short and unspecified illness. The statement remembered the Nobel Peace Prize winner as "radiating genuine kindness, warmth and brilliance in all he did."
At U.N. headquarters in New York, the U.N. flag flew at half-staff and a bouquet of flowers was placed under Annan's portrait. Reflecting the widespread regard that won him a groundbreaking uncontested election to a second term, leaders from Russia, India, Israel, France and elsewhere expressed condolences for a man Bill Gates called "one of the great peacemakers of our time."
Annan spent virtually his entire career as an administrator in the United Nations. His aristocratic style, cool-tempered elegance and political savvy helped guide his ascent to become its seventh secretary general, and the first hired from within. His two terms were from Jan. 1, 1997, to Dec. 31, 2006, capped nearly midway when he and the U.N. were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001.
During his tenure, Annan presided over some of the worst failures and scandals at the world body. Challenges from the outset forced him to spend much of his time struggling to restore its tarnished reputation.
His enduring moral prestige remained largely undented, however, both through charm and by virtue of having negotiated with most of the powers in the world.
When he departed from the United Nations, he left behind a global organization far more aggressively engaged in peacekeeping and fighting poverty, setting the framework for its 21st-century response to mass atrocities and its emphasis on human rights and development.
"In many ways, Kofi Annan was the United Nations," current U.N. Secretary General António Guterres said. "He rose through the ranks to lead the organization into the new millennium with matchless dignity and determination."
Even out of office, Annan never completely left the U.N. orbit. He returned in special roles, including as the U.N.-Arab League's special envoy to Syria in 2012. He remained a powerful advocate for global causes through his eponymous foundation.
A journalist films the black ribbon and a bouquet of flowers adorning the portrait of former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan at U.N. headquarters, Saturday AP
Kofi Atta Annan was born April 8, 1938, into an elite family in Kumasi, Ghana, the son of a provincial governor and grandson of two tribal chiefs.
He shared his middle name Atta – "twin" in Ghana's Akan language – with a twin sister, Efua.
He became fluent in English, French and several African languages, attending an elite boarding school and the University of Science and Technology in Kumasi. He finished his undergraduate work in economics at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1961. From there he went to Geneva, where he began his graduate studies in international affairs and launched his U.N. career.
Annan married Titi Alakija, a Nigerian woman, in 1965, and they had a daughter, Ama, and a son, Kojo. He returned to the U.S. in 1971 and earned a master's degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Sloan School of Management. The couple separated during the 1970s and, while working in Geneva, Annan met his second wife, Swedish lawyer Nane Lagergren. They married in 1984.
Annan worked for the U.N. Economic Commission for Africa in Ethiopia, its Emergency Force in Egypt and the office of the High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva before taking a series of senior posts at U.N. headquarters in New York dealing with human resources, budget, finance and staff security.
He also had special assignments. After Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, he facilitated the repatriation from Iraq of more than 900 international staff and other non-Iraqi nationals, and the release of Western hostages in Iraq. He led the initial negotiations with Iraq for the sale of oil in exchange for humanitarian relief.
Just before becoming secretary general, Annan served as U.N. peacekeeping chief and as special envoy to the former Yugoslavia, where he oversaw a transition in Bosnia from U.N. protective forces to NATO-led troops.
The U.N. peacekeeping operation faced two of its greatest failures during his tenure: the Rwanda genocide in 1994 and the massacre in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica in July 1995.
In both cases, the U.N. had deployed troops under Annan's command, but they failed to save the lives of the civilians they were mandated to protect. Annan offered apologies but ignored calls to resign by U.S. Republican lawmakers. After becoming secretary-general, he called for U.N. reports on those two debacles – and they were highly critical of his management.
As secretary general, Annan forged his experiences into a doctrine called the "Responsibility to Protect" that countries accepted – at least in principle –to head off genocide, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing and war crimes.
Annan sought to strengthen the U.N.'s management, coherence and accountability, efforts that required huge investments in training and technology, a new whistleblower policy and financial disclosure requirements.
Annan was chief architect of what became known as the Millennium Development Goals, and played a central role in creating the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and the U.N.'s first counterterrorism strategy.
Annan's uncontested election to a second term was unprecedented, reflecting the overwhelming support he enjoyed from both rich and poor countries. Timothy Wirth, president of the United Nations Foundation, which disburses Ted Turner's $1 billion pledge to U.N. causes, hailed "a saint-like sense about him."
After leaving his high-profile U.N. perch, Annan didn't let up. In 2007, his Geneva-based foundation was created. That year he helped broker peace in Kenya, where election violence had killed over 1,000 people.
He also joined The Elders, an elite group of former leaders founded by Nelson Mandela, eventually succeeding Desmond Tutu as its chairman.
Annan "represented our continent and the world with enormous graciousness, integrity and distinction," Tutu said Saturday in a statement, adding that "we give great thanks to God" for him.
Like many in the international community, he expressed alarm at the Trump administration's decisions to back out of the Iran nuclear deal and move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.
His homeland of Ghana was shaken by his death. "One of our greatest compatriots," President Nana Akufo-Addo said, calling for a week with flags at half-staff. "Rest in perfect peace, Kofi. You have earned it."
Leaders worldwide paid tribute to Annan.
"Mr. Annan spent his life advocating for peace and human dignity during his long career at the United Nations," U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said. "Even after leaving his post as secretary-general he embodied the mission of the United Nations, by sowing the seeds of peace as Chair of The Elders, an independent group of global leaders committed to advancing the cause of peace and promoting human rights around the world."
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said, "Kofi Annan devoted his life to making the world a more peaceful place through his compassion and dedication to service. He worked tirelessly to unite us and never stopped fighting for the dignity of every person."
The Israeli Foreign Ministry issued a statement praising Annan as "a champion of multilateral diplomacy, a Nobel prize recipient and a world statesman who dedicated his public life to striving towards global peace and the alleviation of poverty and reducing child mortality.
"As U.N. secretary general, he resisted the delegitimization of Israel. He fought actively against Holocaust denial and supported in 2006 the UN initiative on the International Holocaust Remembrance Day."
Russian President Vladimir Putin said, "Many years of the life of this remarkable person and great politician were devoted to the service of the United Nations. Heading the U.N. at a difficult time, he did a great deal to realize the purposes and the goals of the organization, strengthening its central role in world affairs. His personal contribution to building the U.N.'s peacekeeping potential, as well as in the settlement of a number of regional conflicts, was particularly significant.
"I sincerely admired his wisdom and courage, his ability to make balanced decisions even in the most difficult, critical situations."
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said, "Kofi Annan never gave up working for the good in the world. He knew how to get people engaged, and became a role model, especially for young people all over the world."
British Prime Minister Theresa May hailed Annan as "a great leader and reformer of the U.N., he made a huge contribution to making the world he has left a better place than the one he was born into."
French President Emmanuel Macron said his country "pays tribute to him [Annan]. We will never forget his calm and resolute approach to matters, nor the strength of his commitments."
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif described the former U.N. chief as "a towering global leader and an unwavering champion for peace, justice and rule of law. Rest in peace my dear old friend."
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said Annan was "a great leader and diplomat extraordinaire" who had advanced the African agenda within the United Nations and had "flown the flag for peace" around the world."
Annan is survived by his wife and three children. Funeral arrangements were not immediately announced.