Kofi Annan studied Economics in Ghana, the US and at Geneva's Graduate Institute for International Studies. He also holds an MBA from MIT.

In 1962, Kofi Annan joined the World Health Organization (WHO). From 1974 to 1976, he worked as Director of Tourism in Ghana. He then returned to work for the United Nations as an Assistant Secretary General. In 1995, he served as Under Secretary General until October 1995, when he was made a Special Representative of the Secretary General to the former Yugoslavia. In 1996, Kofi Annan became the first black African to be appointed UN Secretary General. In 2001, he was elected for a second term until 2006.

Since 2007, Kofi Annan has been serving as Chairman of Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), an organization that supports small-scale farmers. He is also a founding member of the Global Elders, a group of public figures who pursue the goal of solving global problems. Furthermore, Kofi Annan is President of the Global Humanitarian Forum in Geneva.

For his work in realizing a better organized and more peaceful world, Kofi Annan received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001, together with the United Nations. Two years later, Kofi Annan was awarded the Sakharov Prize by the European Parliament for championing human rights. He also holds multiple honorary doctorates from universities around the world.