Kofi Annan Joins World Economic Forum Foundation Board

Thats good news from World Economic Forum. As Kofi Annan has this most excellent background from beeing former. Secretary General of UN. Check also the 8min Webcast about a New Mindset for UN. ....


FORMER UN SECRETARY-GENERAL KOFI ANNAN JOINS WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM FOUNDATION BOARD

Geneva, Switzerland, 14 November 2007 - Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1997-2007, has joined the Foundation Board of the World Economic Forum. The Forum, based in Geneva, Switzerland, is a foundation under the supervision of the Swiss government; the Foundation Board is its highest governance body. Kofi Annan's work on the Foundation Board is not compensated.

"Kofi Annan will be a great asset to the World Economic Forum, bringing his tremendous expertise in global governance issues. We look forward to utilizing his vast experience in dealing with an array of global issues. In particular, Kofi will bring his understanding of the challenges facing the continent of Africa and his knowledge of poverty reduction in the developing world. I am convinced he will be a tremendous asset to our Foundation Board as we seek to continue to deliver on our mission to improve the state of the world," said Professor Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum.


Kofi Annan has actively engaged with the Forum, participating in its Annual Meetings in Davos since 1995. Earlier this year, Kofi underlined the importance of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting and its founder Klaus Schwab: "He built Davos into a meeting place of business leaders, politicians, religious figures, policy-makers and, more recently, activists, celebrities and younger leaders. Davos entered the global lexicon as a place you went to try out new ideas, confirm trends or launch initiatives." Read his remarks in full.

In 2006, he presented his plan for United Nations reform to the Annual Meeting: "My objective has been to persuade member states that the UN needs to engage not only with governments, but with people," he said, adding that "only if it does that, can it fulfil its vocation and be of use to humanity in the 21st century." Watch the webcast.

Kofi most recently participated in the World Economic Forum on Africa in June 2007 where he announced his chairmanship of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), launched at the meeting. "Africa is the only region where overall food security and livelihoods are deteriorating. We will reverse this trend by working to create an environmentally sustainable, uniquely African Green Revolution. When our poorest farmers finally prosper, all of Africa will benefit," he said at the meeting in Cape Town. The Alliance works with the World Economic Forum's Business Alliance Against Chronic Hunger.

Kofi was co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001.