Kofi Annan's final year of life's struggles with international leadership

Kofi Annan at a seminar in New York in September 2009. Photo: Reuters

"Frankly, we are in a mess," former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan told reporters on December 12, 2017.AFPahead of a climate change conference in Paris.

"In the past, when we've been through crises like this, we've had leaders who were courageous and visionary, willing to act and understood that they needed to work with others," he said months after US President Trump announced his withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Annan recalled the “enthusiasm, excitement and energy” in 2015 when the accord was agreed. “When you come out of a conference like this, you expect people to have a strong determination to implement what was discussed,” he said.

"But that didn't happen. We've lost our enthusiasm and we're not following through," he said. "We have to remember that the only promises that matter are the ones that are kept."

“Today, leaders are going in the wrong direction,” Annan stressed. “Leaders are retreating.”

He called for greater cooperation between countries to deal with terrorism, migration and climate change. The former UN Secretary-General also expressed deep concern about the situation in North Korea, warning: "If we make a miscalculation, we will all be victims."

Kofi Annan, who served as UN Secretary-General from 1997 to 2006, passed away on August 18 at the age of 80. Ghana, his homeland, will fly its flag at half-mast for a week to express its condolences.

Many world leaders also expressed their condolences and praised his achievements. Putin said he admired Kofi Annan's courage and intelligence, as well as his ability to make balanced decisions in a crisis.