Geneva, Switzerland.- Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan died in Switzerland at the age of 80, according to the family and the foundation created by the Nobel Peace Prize winner.

‘It is with immense sadness that the Annan family and the Kofi Annan Foundation announce that Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations and Nobel Peace Laureate passed away peacefully on Saturday 18th August after a short illness,’ the organization said on Twitter. According to the information released, the death occurred in Berne, capital of Switzerland, and Annan was accompanied by his wife and children.

The circulated statement noted that the Ghanaian diplomat was ‘a global statesman and a deeply committed internationalist who fought throughout his life for a fairer and more peaceful world’.

The text recalled the arduous efforts made throughout his career, since his entry into the UN in 1962, to promote peace, sustainable development, human rights and the rule of law.

Annan was secretary-general of the United Nations from 1997 to 2006, and in 2001 he received the Nobel Peace Prize as a reward for his work ‘for a more organized and peaceful world’.

Several organizations of the United Nations begin to react after the news of his death.

The International Organization for Migration lamented ‘the disappearance of a great man, a leader, a visionary.’