Skip to main content
Access provided by

Curated by Project Syndicate

Kofi A. Annan, 1938-2018

7 commentaries

Kofi A. Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations (1997-2006) and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was one of the greatest diplomats of our time. Under his leadership, and following the horrors of the Bosnian War, Annan became the catalyst for a more proactive UN, not only in terms of peacemaking, but also in the global effort to combat climate change.

Sort by: Show:
  1. How IT Threatens Democracy
    Getty Images Drew Angerer/Getty Images
    Free to read

    How IT Threatens Democracy

    Feb 16, 2018 Kofi A. Annan probes the ways in which social media, big data, and artificial intelligence can jeopardize open societies.

  2. Rethinking Sanctions
    Woman in Burma selling fruit Woman in Burma selling fruit/Pixabay
    Free to read

    Rethinking Sanctions

    Jan 11, 2016 Kofi A. Annan & Kishore Mahbubani argue for a more refined and comprehensive approach to changing states' behavior.

  3. The Grassroots of Climate Change
    Grass
    Free to read

    The Grassroots of Climate Change

    Dec 22, 2015 Kofi A. Annan argues that it is up to citizens to ensure that the agreement reached in Paris is fulfilled.

  4. Migration Realism
    Migrants Arriving in Lampedusa Noborder Network/Flickr
    Free to read

    Migration Realism

    Jun 13, 2015 Kofi A. Annan proposes a four-pronged strategy to ensure more humane treatment of those fleeing dire conditions.

  5. Saving Global Order
    annan6_photographer is my life_getty images_globalization Photographer is my life/Getty Images
    Free to read

    Saving Global Order

    Jan 29, 2015 Kofi A. Annan reminds us why renewing the international system is in everyone's interest.

  6. West Africa’s Misguided War on Drugs
    West Africa’s Misguided War on Drugs Rodrigo/Flickr
    Free to read

    West Africa’s Misguided War on Drugs

    Jul 8, 2014 Kofi A. Annan urges a new approach to combating the trade in illicit narcotics.

Our Pick

Featured

  1. velasco150_PAUL ELLISAFP via Getty Images_voting PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images
    0

    In Praise of First-Past-the-Post

    Andrés Velasco explains why Britain’s electoral system is better than all the plausible alternatives.
  2. slaughter105_JACK GUEZAFP via Getty Images_womenwagepeace Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images
    0

    Peacebuilding in the Middle East Requires Women

    Anne-Marie Slaughter & Xanthe Scharff argue that negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians must no longer be the province of men.
  3. varoufakis117_JULIEN DE ROSAAFP via Getty Images_macron JULIEN DE ROSA/AFP via Getty Images
    0

    Macron and Europe’s Centrists Are Out of Good Options

    Yanis Varoufakis shows that an intractable economic conundrum lies behind the current impasse in French politics.
  4. quesada3_ Lokman Vural ElibolAnadolu via Getty Images_immigration Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images
    0

    Immigration Does Not Start at the US Border

    Carlos Alvarado-Quesada laments the failure of Republicans and Democrats alike to address the root causes of migration.
  5. landau4_Getty Images_AI money Getty Images/Anton Petrus
    0

    Will AI Kill Off Money?

    Jean-Pierre Landau considers some of the underappreciated implications of an economy run entirely by machines.
  6. op_krauze1_Fine Art ImagesHeritage ImagesGetty Images_spinoza Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images
    2

    A Philosopher for Our Times

    Enrique Krauze shows that, given rising illiberalism, the seventeenth-century thinker Baruch Spinoza is as relevant as ever.
  7. snower8_Getty Images Getty Images
    0

    A New Worldview for Troubled Times

    Dennis J. Snower proposes four principles to guide policymaking and global negotiations in the age of climate change.
  8. moyo29_Carl CourtGetty Images_FTSE Carl Court/Getty Images
    0

    Navigating Today’s Frothy Financial Markets

    Dambisa Moyo offers a basic framework for assessing the risk of new bubbles and their potential spillover effects.
  9. asadullah16_ MUNIR UZ ZAMANAFP via Getty Images_bangladesh MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP via Getty Images
    0

    An Arab Spring for Bangladesh?

    M. Niaz Asadullah argues that young protestors could help the country chart a democratic course and achieve sustainable growth.

Edit Newsletter Preferences

Set up Notification

To receive email updates regarding this {entity_type}, please enter your email below.

If you are not already registered, this will create a PS account for you. You should receive an activation email shortly.