“To live is to choose. But to choose well, you must know who you are and what you stand for, where you want to go, and why you want to get there.” – Kofi Annan

A year on after the passing of H.E. Kofi Annan on 18th August, 2018, the Kofi Annan International Peace Keeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), Ghana, Africa, and the world remember the former Secretary-General of the United Nations and Nobel Peace Laureate for his invaluable work to promote peace, human rights, gender equality, the Rule of Law and sustainable development across the globe.

The Late Kofi Annan was an incomparable leader and an extraordinary inspirer. As a global leader, he was greatly dedicated and committed to ensuring that the human race had a fairer and a better place to live in this world.

KAIPTC recalls his support to the work of the Centre, particularly his partnership to establish the West Africa Commission on Drugs (WACD, which was aimed at contributing to address the growing drug problem in West Africa.

H.E. Kofi Annan was relentless in his efforts to implement the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security, which was adopted unanimously during his first term as Secretary-General.

The recognition to make women key partakers in peace processes, the efforts to protect all girls and women from all forms of violence, and to keep instituting ways to preserve their rights; attending to the specific women in relief and recovery efforts were pursued during his time, and this set the pace for continuous action and focus on women protection, empowerment, involvement in peace processes.

The adoption of UNSCR 1325 inspired KAIPTC to establish a Women, Peace and Security Institute, the first of its kind on the continent, and to start the delivery of a post-graduate programme in Gender, Peace and Security in 2011, with the addition of four programmes seven years on.

To honour him and his legacy, KAIPTC is organising the maiden edition of the Kofi Annan Peace and Security (KAPS) Forum, with support from the Federal Government of Germany and the Government of Norway. Under the theme "Peace Operations in the Context of Violent Extremism in Africa", the forum will bring together experts in peace and security to share their knowledge and expertise on the most critical peace and security trends on the African continent.

KAIPTC will forever remember and thank H.E Kofi Annan for his immense contribution to world peace.