Kofi Annan was a former United Nations leader who served two terms as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1997 to 2006. He was the first black African to take on the role and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001 for his work in promoting human rights and international peace. Annan was also a strong advocate for the Millennium Development Goals, which aimed to reduce poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation, and discrimination against women.