Kofi Atta Annan (April 8, 1938 – August 18, 2018) was a prominent Ghanaian diplomat and statesman who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1997 to 2006. Born in Kumasi, Gold Coast (now Ghana) into an aristocratic family, he pursued higher education in the United States and Switzerland, studying international relations and economics. Annan joined the United Nations system in 1962, working with the World Health Organization, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and UN Headquarters, where he developed expertise in international bureaucracy and peacekeeping. During his tenure as Secretary-General, he focused on reforming the UN, promoting human rights, addressing global challenges such as poverty and HIV/AIDS, and advancing international law and conflict resolution. His leadership earned him and the UN the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize. After leaving the UN, he founded the Kofi Annan Foundation in 2007 to support global governance and sustainable development and chaired The Elders, a group of independent leaders founded by Nelson Mandela. Annan's legacy endures as a symbol of principled leadership in peacekeeping and multilateral diplomacy.