Kofi Annan Quotes

We in the region will all have security or none of us will have security.

... assertive multilateralism.

We have learned that we cannot live alone, at peace; that our own well-being is dependent on the well-being of other nations far away. We have learned that we must live as men, not as ostriches

Only by carrying forward such a program with common determination and united national support, can we expect, in the long range of the future, to avoid becoming victims of destructive forces of international anarchy which in the absence of organized international relations will rule the world. By the procedure of cooperation with other nations likewise intent upon security, we can and will remain masters of our own fate.

Security can no longer be attained by arming ourselves against a potential enemy. Rather, security is attainable only with his cooperation.

A collective security relies on everybody doing their fair share.

[We] are focused on protecting and defending our common security and upholding a rules-based order that undergirds the peace and prosperity of the region and the world. In this work, we are grateful for our continued partnership with Singapore.

Today we must abandon competition and secure cooperation. This must be the central fact in all our considerations of international affairs; otherwise we face certain disaster. Past thinking and methods did not prevent world wars. Future thinking must prevent wars...The stakes are immense, the task colossal the time is short. But we may hope- we must hope- that man's own creation, man's own genius, will not destroy him.

Does anyone seriously contend that any nation can fend for itself?

International policy does not aim at exploiting local, specific conditions to widen zones of influence and create difficulties for another country. The goal of international policy is to insure universal fulfillment of the "Declaration of the Rights of Man" and to prevent a sharpening of international tensions and a strengthening of militarist and nationalist tendencies.

Global coherence demands a permanent strategic cooperation culture at all levels.

I remain dedicated to building an economy that works for every American and every community. I remain committed to ensuring our security at home while also ensuring we lead the world in improving security around the globe.

U.S. national security interests are best served when the United Nations effectively fulfills this core purpose.

We believe in peace and peaceful development, not only for ourselves but for people all over the world.

We believe that when all nations adhere to international rules and norms and when we conduct on the basis of sovereign equality and mutual respect, our nations feel secure, and our economies prosper.

International cooperation is vital to keeping our globe safe, commerce flowing, and our planet habitable.

The attitude of 'every nation unto itself' is a destructive one for the future of Israel.

In both world wars, Britain understood that our national sovereignty could only endure if we cooperated with other nations. That our fate is inexorably bound with that of our neighbours.

The simple fact is that when our foreign partners are more secure, so are we.

Our freedom, our prosperity and our security depend on a proper respect for the fortune of our neighbours, allies and old friends.

If the U.N. is ineffective, the whole concept of multilateralism will collapse.

The United States, working closely with the United Kingdom and others, established the liberal world order in the wake of World War II. The goal was to ensure that the conditions that had led to two world wars in 30 years would never again arise.

A number of countries, including some who have loudly criticized the NSA, privately acknowledge that America has special responsibilities as the world's only superpower, that our intelligence capabilities are critical to meeting these responsibilities, and that they themselves have relied on the information we obtain to protect their own people.

I think disease and all the things that we treat are tied to national security in a lot of ways that we maybe don't realize or that the American people don't realize. If other countries have a chance to be stable, then that helps us. If there are ways we can prevent if there are ways we can help other countries defeat diseases, we're about to totally eradicate polio. And can you imagine? That would be so terrific.

Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges.