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	Kofi Annan remembered as 'a guiding force for good' by UN News, The Elders, Reuters, agencies Ghana   The United Nations is mourning the death of former Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who passed away peacefully after a short illness. The renowned Ghanaian diplomat was 80 years old.   Mr. Annan was the seventh man to take the helm of the global organization and the first Secretary-General to emerge from the ranks of its staff.   The current UN chief, Antonio Guterres hailed him as 'a guiding force for good' and a 'proud son of Africa who became a global champion for peace and all humanity'.   'Like so many, I was proud to call Kofi Annan a good friend and mentor. I was deeply honoured by his trust in selecting me to serve as UN High Commissioner for Refugees under his leadership. He remained someone I could always turn to for counsel and wisdom and I know I was not alone'.   'He provided people everywhere with a space for dialogue, a place for problem-solving and a path to a better world. In these turbulent and trying times, he never stopped working to give life to the values of the United Nations Charter. His legacy will remain a true inspiration for all us'.   Kofi Annan was born in Kumasi, Ghana, on 8 April 1938. He joined the UN system in 1962 as an administrative officer with the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, rising to hold a number of senior-level posts. He served as UN Secretary-General for two consecutive five-year terms, beginning in January 1997.   Mr. Guterres noted: 'Kofi Annan rose through the ranks to lead the organization into the new millennium with matchless dignity and determination'.   From his beginnings in Geneva, Mr. Annan held UN posts in places such as Ethiopia, Egypt, the former Yugoslavia and at Headquarters in New York. Following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, he was tasked with facilitating the repatriation of more than 900 international staff as well as the release of Western hostages. He later led the first UN team negotiating with Iraq on the sale of oil to fund purchases of humanitarian aid.   Mr. Annan used his office to advocate for human rights, the rule of law, development and Africa. He worked to bring the UN closer to people worldwide by forging closer ties with civil society. He was central in establishing the International Criminal Court, strengthening United Nations Human Rights mechanisms, and oversaw the establishment of the Millenium Development Goals, the precursor to the Sustainable Development Goals. As Secretary-General, he also galvanized global action to fight HIV/AIDS. Mr. Annan and the United Nations jointly were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001.   After leaving the UN, Mr. Annan did not rest, taking on the role of UN Special Envoy for Syria in the wake of the conflict which began in March 2011. He also chaired an Advisory Commission established by Myanmar in 2016 to improve the welfare of all people in Rakhine state, home to the minority Rohingya community.   At Kofi Annan's death, the president of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, ordered the country's flags lowered to half-staff, saying, 'He brought considerable renown to our country by his position and through his conduct and comportment in the global arena'.   Ghana now enters a week of mourning, and another generation of young people could be inspired by Annan's example. Some years ago in Kumasi, where he was born, a reporter asked a group of children gathered in a park whether they knew who Kofi Annan was. One little boy was certain: 'He's president of the world', he said.   Aug. 2018   The United Nations has lowered its flags to half-mast to mourn the death of former secretary-general Kofi Annan.   Tributes flowed in from around the world after his foundation announced his death in the Swiss capital, Bern, after a short and unspecified illness. The statement remembered the Nobel Peace Prize winner as "radiating genuine kindness, warmth and brilliance in all he did".   Reflecting the widespread regard that won him a ground-breaking uncontested election to a second term, leaders from around the world expressed condolences for a man Bill Gates called "one of the great peacemakers of our time."   UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres, who Mr Annan chose to head the UN refugee agency, said, "In many ways, Kofi Annan was the United Nations.. He rose through the ranks to lead the organisation into the new millennium with matchless dignity and determination," Mr Guterres said in a statement.   Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-addo praised Mr Annan as "an ardent believer in the capacity of the Ghanaian to chart his or her own course onto the path of progress and prosperity".   Former US president Barack Obama said: "Long after he had broken barriers, Kofi never stopped his pursuit of a better world."   "We give great thanks to God for Kofi Annan, an outstanding human being who represented our continent and the world with enormous graciousness, integrity and distinction," said former South African archbishop Desmond Tutu.   UN high commissioner for human rights, Zeid Raad al-Hussein, paid tribute to Mr Annan as "the epitome of human decency and grace".   The high commissioner, who has criticised major powers and other countries during his four-year term that ends later this month, said whenever he felt "isolated and alone politically", he would go for long walks with Mr Annan in Geneva. "When I told him once how everyone was grumbling about me, he looked at me like a father would look at a son and said sternly: 'You're doing the right thing, let them grumble'.   The producers of children's television show Sesame Street called Mr Annan, "a passionate ambassador for Sesame Street and the world's children".   UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said, 'Kofi Annan was particularly concerned about the future - the world our children and their children will inherit. Through his six decades of public service, Kofi Annan was committed to enlisting us all in the work of building a better world.. Kofi Annan's life reflected his understanding of it - that the fate of each of us determines the fate of all of us'. http://uni.cf/2vVO6Ol   18 August 2018   The Elders mourn the loss of Kofi Annan   The Elders are deeply saddened at the passing of their dear friend and colleague Kofi Annan, who was the globally admired and respected Chair of The Elders.   A founding member of The Elders, Kofi Annan succeeded Archbishop Desmond Tutu as Chair in May 2013. He played a vital role in leading The Elders work, and was a voice of authority and wisdom, most recently on visits to South Africa and Zimbabwe in July 2018.   As the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1997 to 2006, he was a constant advocate for human rights, development and the rule of law. The first Secretary-General to reach the post from within an organisation he served for over 40 years, Kofi Annan had a life-long commitment to the cause of peace and was known for his staunch opposition to military aggression, notably the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.   The respect for him and his essential work was illustrated when he, together with the United Nations as a whole, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001.   Gro Harlem Brundtland, Deputy Chair of The Elders, said:   'Kofi was a strong and inspiring presence to us all. Throughout his life, Kofi worked to improve the lives of millions of people around the world. While we mourn his passing today, we resolve as Elders to continue to uphold his values and legacy into the future'.   In retirement, Kofi Annan continued where he had left off at the United Nations, founding and leading the work of the Kofi Annan Foundation, based in Geneva, and maintaining a hectic international schedule. His quiet advice on how best to defuse impending crises was in constant demand from all corners of the globe, in particular from Africa.   The world has lost an inspiring figure, but one whose achievements will not be forgotten, and whose commitment to peace and justice will endure to inspire future generations. http://theelders.org/   Statement from the Kofi Annan Foundation:   Kofi Annan was a global statesman and a deeply committed internationalist who fought throughout his life for a fairer and more peaceful world. During his distinguished career and leadership of the United Nations he was an ardent champion of peace, sustainable development, human rights and the rule of law.   After stepping down from the United Nations, he continued to work in the cause of peace through his chairmanship of the Kofi Annan Foundation and as chair of The Elders, the group founded by Nelson Mandela. He was an inspiration to young and old alike.   Kofi Annan was a son of Ghana and felt a special responsibility towards Africa. He was particularly committed to African development and engaged in many initiatives, including his chairmanship of the Africa Progress Panel.   Wherever there was suffering or need, he reached out and touched people with his compassion and empathy. He will be sorely missed by many around the world.   http://www.kofiannanfoundation.org/index.php http://www.futureearth.org/news/recognizing-kofi-annans-work-climate-change Visit the related web page
	Widespread privatisation of public goods is systematically eliminating human rights protections by Philip Alston UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty   Oct. 2018   Widespread privatisation of public goods is systematically eliminating human rights protections. (UN Radio, agencies)   The private sector should not take the lead in poverty alleviation but it should remain a key obligation of governments to improve the life of the poorest people across the world according to Philip Alston, the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights.   The privatization of public services, such as health care, social protection, education and prisons, has been promoted by international organizations, such as Wall Street, the Finance sector, the World Bank and even the UN, Mr. Alston told UN News, in an in-depth interview.   The Special Rapporteur believes countries like the United States are increasingly allowing profit-driven private companies, to run services for the estimated 40 million people who live in poverty in the US.   Daniel Dickinson sat down with Philip Alston to discuss his role as an independent observer of poverty and began by asking him what he had seen in the seven countries he has visited since 2014 when he became Special Rapporteur.   * Access the audio interview: http://bit.ly/2Unr4OO   Sep. 2018   Report of the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights to the UN General Assembly on the Privatization of Public Goods & Services   Privatization is generally presented as a technical solution for managing resources and reducing fiscal deficits, but in fact, it is an integral part of an economic and social philosophy of governance. Key international actors now promote it aggressively without regard to its human rights implications or consequences, while most human rights bodies have either ignored the phenomenon or assumed that tweaking existing procedures provides an adequate response.   Yet privatization often involves the systematic elimination of human rights protections and further marginalization of the interests of low-income earners and those living in poverty. Existing human rights accountability mechanisms are clearly inadequate for dealing with the challenges presented by large-scale and widespread privatization. Human rights proponents need to fundamentally reconsider their approach: http://undocs.org/A/73/396   UN poverty expert warns against tsunami of unchecked privatisations.   Widespread privatisation of public goods in many societies is systematically eliminating human rights protections and further marginalising those living in poverty, says Philip Alston, the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, criticizing the extent to which the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and other agencies have aggressively promoted widespread privatisation of public basic services, without regard to the human rights implications or the consequences for the poor.   'Privatising the provision of criminal justice, social protection, prisons, education, basic healthcare and other essential public goods cannot be done at the expense of rights protections', Alston said.   'States can't dispense with their human rights obligations by delegating core services and functions to private companies on terms that they know will effectively undermine those rights'.   He noted that while 'proponents present privatisation as a technical solution for managing resources and reducing fiscal deficits', it has actually become an ideology of governance that devalues public goods, equity, public spaces, compassion and a range of other values that are essential for a decent society.   'While privatisation's proponents insist that it saves money, enhances efficiency, and improves services, the real world evidence very often challenges and contradicts these claims'.   'Privatisation is premised on fundamentally different assumptions from those that underpin respect for human rights, such as dignity and equality', he said. It inevitably prioritizes profit, and sidelines considerations such as equality and non-discrimination. Rights-holders are transformed into clients or customers, and those who are poor or less well-off are marginalised or excluded.   Human rights criteria are absent from almost all privatisation agreements, which rarely include provisions for sustained monitoring of their impact on service provision and the poor.   'Existing human rights accountability mechanisms are clearly inadequate for dealing with the challenges of large-scale and widespread privatisation', Alston said. 'The human rights community can no longer ignore the consequences of privatisation'.   Human rights actors should reassert the central role of concepts such as equality, society, the public interest, and shared responsibilities, while challenging the assumption that privatisation should be the default approach.   'The human rights community needs to systematically confront the broader implication of widespread privatisation and ensure that human rights and accountability are at the centre of privatisation efforts', Alston said.   There appear to be no limits to what states have privatised, he said. Public institutions and services across the world have been taken over by private companies dedicated to profiting from key parts of criminal justice systems and prisons, dictating educational priorities and approaches, deciding who will receive health care and social protection, and choosing what infrastructure will be built, where, and for whom, often with harsh consequences for the most marginalised.   'There is a real risk that the waves of privatisation experienced to date will soon be followed by a veritable tsunami', Alston said.   Privatisation of social protection often leads to a focus on economic efficiency concerns that aim to minimise time spent per client, close cases earlier, generate fees wherever possible, and cater to those better-off, pushing those with less resources and more complex problems to the margins.   http://srpoverty.org/ http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Poverty/Pages/SRExtremePovertyIndex.aspx Visit the related web page
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