Interventions Kofi Annan Interventions -- Book Review

The UN has been denied a proper role in the conflict and Annan admits it as being limiting and not very effective.

Middle East, MDGs and the future of our planet

Speaking of his diplomatic initiatives to redefine security, as security from hunger, disease and poverty; towards accomplishment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Annan paints an interesting picture of his struggles with African leaders like Mugabe, who refused to acknowledge the use of condoms in the strategy to prevent the spread of AIDS. He captures this shifting in priorities quite well, when he says:" I spent most of my tenure as secretary-general in an international environment obsessed with the potential peril of weapons of mass destruction. But in HIV / AIDS, which never received anything like the same level of attention, we had a true WMD- and one that was actively unleashing itself in the world." His lament about countries prioritizing violence over peace is clear when he says:" Member states willed the ends but rarely the means. The world, as ever, was happy to invest in the instruments of violence, but not the resources for peace."

Despite the violence, chaos and destruction that have characterized the Arab Spring, Annan remains optimistic and believes that the demands for better governance that are being made are legitimate and reflect the aspirations of the younger generation.

Readers and the general masses usually know about the conflicts as what the media tells them. This gives a one on one description about what the leaders have to go to and how being a general of the UN really was. The readers should know the details of the conflicts from the primary source. Let alone the events of his time in the UN, Annan present more about the ongoing conflict in Syria. This adds onto the knowledge of the masses because many are confused about what exactly is happening in Syria. There have been books about political happenings and events, but someone so direct and influential writing would definitely be a must read.….....