Kofi A. Annan (Continuación)

A group of influential countries from the U.N. Security Council and the Middle East will meet Saturday in Geneva to agree on an action plan for peace in Syria.

The situation could hardly be more grave. Since last spring, many thousands of Syrians have risen up to demand change. While at first they gathered peacefully, in the face of appalling government brutality some have resorted to arms. Others, especially members of minorities, have sat on the fence or supported the government, and they fear the alternative.

The resulting maelstrom has shocked the world. Battles have raged through city after city. Whole neighborhoods have been shelled into ruins.…  Seguir leyendo »

Many countries in Europe and North America now require all high-school pupils to learn about the Holocaust. Why? Because of its historical importance, of course, but also because, in our increasingly diverse and globalized world, educators and policy-makers believe Holocaust education is a vital mechanism for teaching students to value democracy and human rights, and encouraging them to oppose racism and promote tolerance in their own societies.

That was certainly my assumption in 2005 when, as U.N. secretary general, I urged the General Assembly to pass a resolution on Holocaust Remembrance, which included a call for “measures to mobilize civil society for Holocaust remembrance and education, in order to help to prevent future acts of genocide.”…  Seguir leyendo »

The establishment of the International Criminal Court followed the gravest of crimes committed in Rwanda and the former Republic of Yugoslavia. In both cases, as we know to our shame, the United Nations and international community failed to take decisive and forceful action to protect the victims.

These terrible events did however, shock the world into action. Ad-hoc tribunals were set up to bring those responsible to justice. The Rome conference in 1998 agreed to establish an International Criminal Court to help end the global culture of impunity.

As the states party to the Rome Statute — which set up the I.C.C.…  Seguir leyendo »

Sport is far more than just a game. One only has to savour the global excitement in the runup to this year's football World Cup to get a feel for its power and transformative potential. With less than 50 days to go before the first match kicks off, billions of football fans are looking forward immensely to the tournament. So am I – and not just because Ghana, my own country, has such a strong side.

I am also looking forward to it, because this competition may do more to bring our planet together than any treaty or convention could ever hope for.…  Seguir leyendo »

The earthquake in Haiti is a tragedy beyond comprehension. It has caused immeasurable human suffering, ­shattering families, communities and hopes. Among the many thousands who have lost their lives are good friends and close colleagues from the United Nations. I mourn their loss and all those who died in this disaster.

Fortunately, humanitarian aid, provided by countries from all across the globe and co-ordinated by the UN, is finally beginning to reach those in need. The immediate priority will for some time remain the provision of medical care, water, food and shelter. But we must also plan now for the longer-term issues of recovery and reconstruction.…  Seguir leyendo »

Copenhague brinda la posibilidad de un acuerdo político sólido, suscrito por los líderes mundiales con la ciudadanía mundial por testigo, que se proponga alcanzar objetivos claros y fijar un calendario destinado a su aplicación normativa y legal. Para que sea un acuerdo realmente histórico, debe llevar a cabo dos cosas.

En primer lugar, debe sentar las bases de un sistema global con los acuerdos subsiguientes que limite el incremento de la temperatura global según las pruebas científicas existentes. En segundo lugar, debe determinar claramente el grado de movilización y el volumen de recursos financieros necesarios para ayudar a los países en desarrollo a adaptarse a las implicaciones y los efectos del cambio climático.…  Seguir leyendo »

Almost six months ago, at a moment of great alarm about the global financial and economic crisis, G20 leaders met for a historic summit in London. Their collective commitments to stimulate, regulate and restructure global economic activity helped to calm nerves around the world.

Many of the problems that spurred that summit remain real. Anxiety levels may have come down in boardrooms and stock markets, but the daily drama for survival continues. Indeed, for many in the world's least developed countries it has deepened – particularly in Africa.

The United Nations and the World Bank predict that the direct and indirect effects of the economic meltdown will be felt in the developing world for a long time to come.…  Seguir leyendo »

The evidence is clear: Africa is experiencing the powerful impact of climate change. Weather patterns are changing, resulting in more droughts and floods, and higher air and water temperatures. Glaciers on the famous Rwenzori mountains, long fabled as the Mountains of the Moon, have shrunk by half since the late 1980s – symbolic of more profound changes taking place.

The effects on people, particularly the poor, are severe. Farmers, pastoralists, fishing communities and town dwellers are vulnerable to changes in water availability and agricultural productivity. As yields drop, people need other sources of income to meet their basic needs. A warmer climate increases the risk of vector-borne diseases such as malaria.…  Seguir leyendo »

One might assume, with the barrage of bad news on jobs and announcements of gigantic bailouts, that the brunt of the global financial meltdown is being borne by developed countries like Japan, the UK and the US. In fact, people in the poorest countries may end up paying the highest price.

World Bank forecasts indicate declines in economic activity and jobs could result in more than 50 million people being added to those living on less that $2 a day. Hard-won gains in poverty alleviation, health, education and food security are being reversed.

As western politicians rush to protect their economies, the potential impact of the crisis on the least developed countries has received insufficient attention.…  Seguir leyendo »

The battle to find the funds

Easy. They must sustain a two-pronged approach: mitigation and adaptation. The only suitable response is a binding international framework to curb greenhouse gas emissions beyond the Kyoto protocol, which expires in 2012. We have to take steps to increase the resilience of vulnerable communities to the impact of climate change. To achieve the global development agenda, we must integrate environmental policies with social and economic policies. It will take huge resources to fund the adaptation to the actual impact of climate change on communities around the world. Funding must be a part of any serious solution to the climate change predicament we face.…  Seguir leyendo »

Nearly 50 years ago, when I arrived in Minnesota as a student fresh from Africa, I had much to learn -- starting with the fact that there is nothing wimpish about wearing earmuffs when it is 15 degrees below zero. All my life since has been a learning experience. Now I want to pass on five lessons I have learned during 10 years as secretary general of the United Nations that I believe the community of nations needs to learn as it confronts the challenges of the 21st century.

First, in today's world we are all responsible for each other's security.…  Seguir leyendo »