Kofi A Annan was the 7th Secretary-General of the United Nations and is the Founder and Chair of the Kofi Annan Foundation. One of his main priorities as Secretary-General was a comprehensive programme of reform that sought to revitalise the United Nations and make the international system more effective. He was a constant advocate for human rights, the rule of law, the Millennium Development Goals and Africa, and sought to bring the organisation closer to the global public by forging ties with civil society, the private sector and other partners. In 2001, he and the United Nations were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace. Mr Annan Chaired the Global Commission on Elections, Democracy and Security, and in January 2013, launched the West Africa Commission on Drugs, as a response to the surge in drug trafficking and consumption in West Africa and their impact on security, governance and public health. Since leaving the United Nations, he has been actively pressing for policies that will meet the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly in Africa. Mr Annan is the Chair of The Elders, an independent group of global leaders who work together for peace and human rights and is also a board member, patron or honorary member of a number of organisations, including the United Nations Foundation. In essence he continues to use his experience to mediate and resolve conflict.