Kofi Annan Foundation

Kofi Annan and Louise Arbour at the 2012 launch of the report

The Foundation advises countries on how to strengthen the integrity and legitimacy of their electoral processes and avoid elections related violence. This builds on the work of the Global Commission on Elections, Democracy and Security, a commission jointly created by the Kofi Annan Foundation and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) which aims to highlight the importance of the integrity of elections to achieving a more secure, prosperous and stable world. Indeed, Kofi Annan is quoted as saying that "uncontrolled, unregulated and opaque political finance has also compromised the equal opportunities of citizens to influence political outcomes, leading to voter apathy and distrust. In many countries, elections continue to be associated with a ‘winner-takes-all’ approach, fuelling the potential for conflict and violence. At the same time, elections have been used to perpetuate the rule of dictators by giving a veneer of democratic legitimacy to autocratic regimes" and these concerns are what led him to convene a group of experts and distinguished former leaders to explore how to promote and protect the integrity of elections".[5]

In 2012, the Commission launched its report entitled Deepening Democracy: a Strategy for Improving the Integrity of Elections Worldwide which addresses challenges to electoral integrity and distills recommendations to governments, regional and international organisations, electoral management bodies and civil society to enhance the integrity of electoral processes.[6] In the foreword to the report, Kofi Annan is quoted as saying that "elections are the indispensable root of democracy. They are now almost universal. Since 2000, all but 11 countries have held national elections. But to be credible, we need to see high standards before, during and after votes are cast".[7]

In 2015, Kofi Annan said that "supporting the integrity of elections in Africa and elsewhere will be an area, like all these challenges, I and my Foundation sees as particular priorities this year".[8]

The Foundation promotes reforms in Africa in order to enable the continent to tap into the vast resources and fertile lands available. In this way, the Foundation brings together leaders from the private sector, civil society and the political sphere and advocates for their cooperation to strengthen African agriculture and food systems, and support the continent’s small-holder farmers.[9]

Shortly after the African Union’s Summit in Malabo, which saw bold commitments to end hunger by 2025, through accelerating agricultural growth and transformation, the Foundation – with the support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation – hosted a high-level session with leaders from the public and private sector at the African Green Revolution Forum 2014 to discuss strategies to make this happen. This gathering led to the report, “Scaling-up Investment in African Agriculture and Food Systems”, which makes clear that urgent action is needed on some fundamental areas if Africa is to reach its agricultural potential.

The Foundation explains that "smallholder farmers, who usually cultivate less than two hectares of land, account for the vast majority of farms worldwide, and especially in Africa. With adequate technology, financial resources and market access, they can be at the heart of a green revolution transforming Africa from a food importer to a continent that can feed itself and export to other parts of the world".[10]

In West Africa, civil wars have receded and democracy has gained ground. However, international drug cartels are undermining countries and communities, and devastating lives. After looking at the evidence, the Kofi Annan Foundation, in consultation with international and regional partners, national governments and civil society organizations, consulted experts in order to develop effective strategies for tackling the growing threat to Africa from increased drug trafficking and consumption.[11] Today, the Foundation advocates for countries and organisations to implement these strategies in West Africa and beyond through the West Africa Commission on Drugs, launched in June 2014. The commission released their report “Not Just in Transit: Drugs, the State and Society in West Africa”.

As part of this strategy, the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI), the International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC) and the WACD – in partnership with the Open Society Initiative for West Africa, the Kofi Annan Foundation and USAID – have organized a civil society workshop on drug policy in 2015, in Accra.[12]

Kofi Annan at the 2014 One Young World Conference

The Kofi Annan said that "young people today are truly citizens of the world. Whatever they are working on, whatever their ambitions for the years ahead, they have to think globally – even when they act locally. Sadly, young people are often overlooked during discussions and decision-making at the national and international level. They have the power to make choices, step forward and take a role in leadership and advocacy. We must listen to the future leaders of the world and empower them to bring about real and necessary change".[13]

One of the Foundation's main focus is fostering dialogue and leadership amongst young people by offering a platform for their ideas and proposed solutions to major public issues. Kofi Annan has been a long time supporter of One Young World, an organisation that provides opportunities for young adults to join in a global network of socially committed people with leadership potential, and was a Counsellor at the inaugural Summit in 2010 and in 2012 in Pittsburgh. In 2013, the Kofi Annan Foundation launched a series of dialogues with youth from the four corners of the world called The Kofi Annan Dialogues: LIVE, on the topics of young people, leadership, unemployment, democracy and elections, and young peoples’ priorities for the post 2015 development agenda.[14]

The Kofi Annan Foundation and the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) launched a joint initiative to take a critical look at the inclusion of truth commissions in peace agreements and their potential to help consolidate post-conflict reconciliation, respect for the rule of law, and stronger protection of human rights. The resulting report “Challenging the Conventional: Can Truth Commissions Strengthen Peace Processes?" presents a set of ideas on a number of critical issues that peace mediators and transitional justice practitioners should take into account when considering a truth-seeking mechanism as part of a peace process.[15] The Foundation recognizes that “truth commissions can have catalytic effects in peace processes so long as they are truly independent, legitimate and recognize the victim’s right to know the truth".[16]

Kofi Annan Foundation played a pivotal role in getting a WHO resolution on halving the burden of snakebite in late 2020's [17]