Kofi Annan was the former United Nations (U.N.) Secretary-General, serving from 1997 to 2006. He was the first black African to hold the position and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001 for his work in promoting human rights and international peace. Annan was a strong advocate for the Millennium Development Goals, which aimed to reduce poverty and improve health and education around the world. He also worked to strengthen the U.N.'s role in global governance and to reform its bureaucracy.