The tribal aristocrat who led the United Nations for nine turbulent years was born in what was then the British Gold Coast in 1938. He shattered stereotypes and, like his nation, presented a very different version of the African narrative to the one that normally dominates the media.

Since declaring independence from Britain in 1957, when Annan was 19-years-old, Ghana has undergone extended periods of political upheaval but, since 1996, has been governed on democratic lines.

The current government, a presidential constitutional democracy, has presided over many years of economic growth and rising prosperity.

Annan, who left to study economics in the USA in 1961, demonstrated a lifelong commitment to democracy, equality and the peaceful resolution of disputes.

These values, which he credited to his teachers at a Methodist boarding school, were reinforced when he started work with the World Health Organisation, an agency of the United Nations, in 1962.

Annan made history as both the first black African and the first insider to be appointed as the Secretary General of the United Nations, holding the post from 1997 to 2006.

He brought a sense of justice, integrity and humility to the role at a time when the world was facing major challenges. These included the AIDS pandemic, the emergence of the new social media technologies that would lead to the Arab Spring, the US-led invasion of Iraq, Iranian and North Korean nuclear ambitions, the struggle for East Timorese independence, the bitter civil war in Sudan and the Israeli occupation of Lebanon.

When tested by events he tried to be guided by ethical values and not just political considerations.

While Annan didn't always get it right; he was famously critical of his own failure to do more to stop the Rwandan genocide when he was the Under Secretary General of Peacekeeping Operations in 1994, he did try to follow his own dictum that: "To live is to choose. But to choose well, you must know who you are and what you stand for, where you want to go and why you want to go there".

A passionate advocate for sexual equality, Annan was one of the first global leaders to understand the importance of carbon emissions and climate change.

His view that: "Gender equality is more than a goal in itself. It is a precondition for meeting the challenge of reducing poverty, promoting sustainable development and building good governance" is particularly pertinent given the debate over the representation of women in Australian political life.

As for climate change, it was a no-brainer: "If we can come up with innovations and train young people to take on new jobs, and if we can switch to clean energy, I think we have the capacity to build a world not dependent on fossil fuel. I think it will happen and it won't destroy the economy".

While Annan, who took on some of his toughest jobs for the UN after stepping down as Secretary-General, would be the first to admit he was far from perfect, nobody can deny his contribution to the world was great.