Kofi A. Annan is former Secretary-General of the United Nations, having served from January 1997 to December 2006. He is founder and Chair of the Kofi Annan Foundation and Chair of The Elders.

Reflections on the UN at 70

© UN Photo/ Paulo Filgueiras

Forty years with the United Nations taught me many lessons, but one remains foremost in my mind, that healthy and sustainable societies are based on three pillars: peace and security, sustainable development, the rule of law and respect for human rights. There can be no long-term security without development; there can be no long-term development without security; and no society can long remain prosperous without the rule of law and respect for human rights.