Quotes from Kofi Annan

The UN doesn't work in a vacuum.

The status quo cannot work.

We need to keep hope alive and strive to do better.

My own advice to people who would be in office for two or three terms is that they must accept democratic rotation. Ideally not put themselves up for re-election and allow the system to work.

You need to be careful not to over-reach and also assess the capacity you have to work with.

Revolution by its nature can not be overly programmed or directed. There are so many forces at work that you don't know where and how it all ends.

The Lord had the wonderful advantage of being able to work alone. Answering why he had not implemented organizational reforms after five months when 'God created the universe in seven day

I am a stubborn optimist: I was born an optimist and will remain an optimist.

Business cannot prosper in societies that fail.

To some extent, Rwanda became a victim of the Somalia experience.

I think it is not just the U.N. speaking, but the concept of a third party, a third party to a conflict speaking out. You know, sometimes saying, 'Stop, this is enough. This cannot be allowed to happen,' gives the victims and the people who are caught in that situation courage, encouragement, support.

I don't share the view that the ICC is anti-African. The ICC is not putting Africa on trial. The ICC is fighting impunity and individuals who are accused of crimes.

Have confidence in the young people, give them a chance, and they will surprise you.

National markets are held together by shared values and confidence in certain minimum standards. But in the new global market, people do not yet have that confidence.

I urge you to celebrate the extraordinary courage and contributions of refugees past and present.

We were all children once. And we all share the desire for the well-being of our children, which has always been and will continue to be the most universally cherished aspiration of humankind.

literacy is at the heart of sustainable development

If one is going to err, one should err on the side of liberty and freedom.

The problem is not with the faith, but with the faithful

Poverty devastates families, communities and nations. It causes instability and political unrest and fuels conflict.

Let us all reaffirm our commitment to improving the well- being of families throughout the world.

To live is to choose. But to choose well, you must know who you are and what you stand for, where you want to go and why you want to get there.

Many African leaders refuse to send their troops on peace keeping missions abroad because they probably need their armies to intimidate their own populations.

Children are our future and if we use them in battle, we are destroying the future. We must reclaim them, every one of them, one at a time.