U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan to Deliver Commencement Address
U.N. leader Kofi Annan, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, will address Duke graduates at May 11, 2003 commencement
Friday, January 10, 2003
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan will deliver Duke Universityâs 2003 commencement address Sunday, May 11, Duke President Nannerl O. Keohane announced Monday.
Annan is well known for his crusading work against poverty and HIV/AIDS, for championing the protection of human rights and the environment, and for reforming the U.N. organization. In 2001, his efforts were recognized when he and the United Nations were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
"As leader of the worldâs preeminent international organization, Secretary-General Kofi Annan has been a tireless advocate for equality, tolerance and human dignity," Keohane said. "In this time of international uncertainty and turbulence, we are particularly honored to have such a distinguished international leader speak to our graduates and their families."
Heather Oh, president of the Duke senior class, said she was ecstatic to learn that Annan would be the commencement speaker. "Itâs a huge honor for the university and all the graduating seniors, especially at this very tense time in the international arena," Oh said. "Who knows what the political climate will be like at commencement time, but this is a very thoughtful choice."
One of the hallmarks of Annanâs tenure as secretary-general has been to bring the organization closer to the people by reaching beyond the U.N.âs historical partners to build relationships with non-governmental agencies and the private sector. Engaging educational institutions is also part of that effort, said Gillian Sorensen, U.N. assistant secretary general for external relations.
"The secretary-general knows that encouraging the interests of young people in the world at large is essential," Sorensen said. "He recognizes the importance of education in understanding the world beyond our borders."
Annan chose Duke among the many speaking invitations he receives in part because of the universityâs commitment to HIV/AIDS research, an issue which he has made a personal priority.
Annan, now in his second term as leader of the U.N., is the first secretary-general to be elected from among the ranks of the organization, and the first from sub-Saharan Africa.
He was born in Ghana in 1938 and was educated on three continents, first studying at the University of Science and Technology in his hometown of Kumasi and later completing his undergraduate work at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minn., in 1961. He studied economics at the Institut universitaire des hautes etudes internationals in Geneva and received a master of science degree in management as a Sloan Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
He joined the United Nations system in 1962 and has worked in the organization for four decades, including service with the World Health Organization, the U.N. Economic Commission for Africa and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
He came to international prominence in 1990 after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, when he negotiated the return from Iraq of more than 900 international workers to their home countries.
During the 1990s, Annan oversaw tremendous growth in the U.N.âs peacekeeping operations and was instrumental in dealing with major world crises. He oversaw the transition in Bosnia and Herzegovina following the Dayton Peace Agreement; attempted to gain Iraqi compliance with U.N. resolutions in 1998; and since 2000 has intensified his efforts to encourage a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Since becoming secretary-general in 1997, Annan has focused attention not only on peace and security, but also on a whole range of economic and social issues made more urgent by globalization.
One of his first initiatives was to revitalize the U.N. organization by, in his words, "bringing the United Nations to the people."
During his tenure, he has affirmed the international communityâs commitment to Africa, and has a longstanding interest in education, particularly the education of women and girls in developing nations.
In his Millennium Report issued in April 2000, Annan urged the member states to work to end poverty and inequality, to improve education, reduce HIV/AIDS, protect the environment and protect people from violence and conflict.
In 2001, he identified the HIV/AIDS epidemic as a worldwide crisis and issued a five-point "Call to Action" that proposed establishing a global fund to help developing nations fight the epidemic.
His work and that of the U.N. was honored later that year with the Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel Committee said Annan "had been preeminent in bringing new life to the Organization."
Annan is married to Nane Annan, a Swedish lawyer and artist. The couple has three children.
Note to editors: A photo of Annan is available at http://www.dukenews.duke.edu/images/annan.jpg.