Kofi Annan, who has passed away at the age of 80, held the post of UN chief during the time of several major international conflicts. His quotes reflect the challenges he saw in the world.

"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."

"Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family."

"Gender equality is more than a goal in itself. It is a precondition for meeting the challenge of reducing poverty, promoting sustainable development and building good governance."

"More than ever before in human history, we share a common destiny. We can master it only if we face it together. And that, my friends, is why we have the United Nations."

"Education is a human right with immense power to transform. On its foundation rest the cornerstones of freedom, democracy and sustainable human development."

"Peace is never a perfect achievement."