Born: Kumasi, Ghana, on April 8, 1938
Position: Seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations (First five-year term began on Jan 1, 1997; Re-appointed to a second term in 2002)
Languages (Fluent): English, French, several African languages
Family: Nane Annan of Sweden (lawyer and painter); they have three children
Education: University of Science and Technology in Kumasi; completed undergraduate work in economics in 1961 at Macalester College in the U.S. Studied economics at the graduate level at Institut universitaire des hautes études internationales in Geneva. As a Sloan Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, received a Master of Science degree (management) in 1972
Previous jobs within the U.N.: Senior positions in human resources management (1987-1990), budget and finance (1990-1992), peacekeeping (March 1992-Dec. 1996)
Career Highlights:
• 1990: Facilitates repatriation of international staff and citizens of Western countries from Iraq after it invaded Kuwait
• Nov. 1995 to March 1996: Serves as Secretary-General's Special Representative to the former Yugoslavia
• 1999: Helps resolve the stalemate between Libya and Security Council; shapes international response to East Timor violence
• 2000: Certifies Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon.
Sept. 2000, Works to encourage Israelis and Palestinians to resolve their differences through negotiations based on Security Council resolutions
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