Mr. Kofi Annan dedicated his career to the United Nations, beginning in 1962 at the age of 24 as an Administrative Office and Budget Officer at the World Health Organization (WHO). His varied career focused extensively on management, refugee issues, and peacekeeping.Key UN Roles and Experience His roles across the UN system included:Special Representative of the Secretary-General to the former Yugoslavia.Assistant Secretary-General for Peace-keeping Operations.Director of Budget in the Financial Services.Deputy Director of Administration and Head of Personnel at the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).Post-Cold War Peacekeeping and Reform Based on his expertise, Mr. Annan helped the UN formulate new approaches for the complex post-Cold War world. He worked to strengthen the Organization's capacity for both traditional peace-keeping missions and multi-functional operations, introducing new tasks like "preventive deployment." To manage the dramatic growth in operations, he also oversaw the creation of a "situation center" that monitors peacekeeping operations 24/7.Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution Mr. Annan successfully carried out a number of sensitive diplomatic assignments, demonstrating a strong ability to avert crises and negotiate peace:He negotiated the repatriation of over 900 international staff and the release of Western hostages in Iraq after the 1990 Gulf War.In February of one year (the source doesn't specify which), he visited Iraq and reached an agreement with Saddam Hussein to end a standoff over UN arms inspections, thereby averting the threat of another war in the Gulf.He made great contributions to the peaceful resolution of conflicts and the maintenance of security in locations such as the former Yugoslavia and Africa.Advocacy for Global Justice Mr. Annan played a leading role in the conclusion of the convention for the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is designed to administer justice for criminal acts against humanity, including war crimes and genocide. His efforts continued to focus on the enhancement of world peace and harmony through the United Nations.