Kofi Annan Quotes

Peace enforcement is a much more difficult kind of operation than peacekeeping.

The UN is ultimately going to be judged on its ability in conflict resolution and conflict prevention.

We send our peacekeepers off to some disputed zone, full of local intrigue and power blocs and uncertainty and danger, and they are supposed to save lives not with their weapons, but through their competence and their character. And they do it.

Our work for human dignity is often lonely, and almost always an uphill climb. At times, our efforts are misunderstood, and we are mistaken for the enemy. There has been a clear erosion of respect for U.N. blue and our impartiality.

We need to begin an all-out diplomatic offensive on Darfur in order to prepare the way for a peacekeeping force that can ensure protection for the people of Darfur.

We must never relent in our efforts to resolve conflicts through diplomacy and through all of the instruments bestowed by the Charter of the United Nations.

The only foreign policy advice I heard from China was when they said to Sudan, 'Don't go back to war.' That's all they said. They didn't push anything else.

So I've gone in and out of the U.N., working on counter-terrorism, on U.N. reform, on peacekeeping, peace and security issues, many things through the years but always with a strong interest in humanitarian issues, and human rights issues as well.

The one indication that I got that I was doing the right job in Bosnia was that at different periods of time all the factions came down very hard on me.

I think it's appropriate for the international community in situations like this to intervene in Kosovo. I am in favor of an intervention. On some level, you have to say that at least somebody is doing something.

The United Nations has a critical role to play in promoting stability, security, democracy, human rights, and economic development. The UN is as relevant today as at any time in its history, but it needs reform.

The Czech Republic is a dynamic United Nations Member State, active on the Human Rights Council, contributing to the peaceful settlement of disputes, and helping other countries to achieve a democratic transition.

Only external authority—the United Nations—can bring about the necessary arrangements to prevent both communities from killing one another.

Preserving peace does not always coincide with the promotion of human rights.

Conflicts between nations will continue to arise. The real issue is whether they are to be resolved by force, or by resort to peaceful methods and procedures, administered by impartial institutions.

One war at a time.

Is a military solution the only way to stop nations from doing bad things?

it's a disgrace for the international community that we have allowed so many conflicts to become frozen, and we are not making a serious effort to solve them.

Too often, U.N. peacekeepers face an impossible task in countries that are still at war and where there is no real peace to keep.

Having served in the military, I know that militaries can stop a problem, but they can't fix a problem.

An international presence in Serbia's Kosovo province is not a problem. But only a civilian and unarmed mission under U.N. auspices, with Russia's participation, would be acceptable.

Let's be clear: Neither Secretary Powell or I opposed the notion of removing Saddam Hussein by force, but we wanted to avoid the war if we could. But if we couldn't, the notion of removing Saddam Hussein from the scene seemed eminently sensible, given that you had, what, 16 or so U.N. Security Council resolutions basically saying the same thing.

The U.N. was there to protect other Rwandese.

I don't want to force the peacekeeping nations to feel like I'm pushing them out.

Our primary objective must be to prevent wars, and when we fail in this, we must protect and assist the innocent victims.