Quotes from Kofi Annan

We cannot allow situations where leaders threaten war on television or on Twitter.

We need to think of the future and the planet we are going to leave to our children and their children.

Education is a human right with immense power to transform

The U.N. power comes from concerted action of the governments.

Intelligence can be used to manipulate.

Microfinance recognizes that poor people are remarkable reservoirs of energy and knowledge

Developing and newer democracies are much more susceptible to the tactics of populists and demagogues - they often do not have strong institutions, free press, or the infrastructure required to defend their nascent democracies.

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

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.

Tolerance, inter-cultural dialogue and respect for diversity are more essential than ever in a world where peoples are becoming more and more closely interconnected.

We must bring a message of solidarity, of mutual respect and, above all, of hope. Business cannot afford to be seen as the problem.

Knowledge is power. Information is liberating.

If information and knowledge are central to democracy, they are the conditions for development.

Often we mistake stability, in terms of security and economic activity, to mean a country is doing well. We forget the third and important pillar: rule of law and respect for human rights.

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

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.

Young people must be included from birth. A society that cuts itself off from its youth severs its lifeline; it is condemned to bleed to death.

Globalization is a fact of life. But I believe we have underestimated its fragility.

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

Literacy unlocks the door to learning throughout life, is essential to development and health, and opens the way for democratic participation and active citizenship.

Change is a process which has to be managed.

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

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.

We have to choose between a global market driven only by calculations of short-term profit, and one which has a human face.