--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Like any large organisation, public or…" description: "\"Like any large organisation, public or private, the UN is a complex machine.\" — Kofi Annan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd1/kofi-annan-799_complex_like-any-large-organisation-public-or-pr_1230691.png" --- # Like any large organisation, public or private, the UN is… ![“Like any large organisation, public or private, the UN is a complex machine.” quote by Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd1/kofi-annan-799_complex_like-any-large-organisation-public-or-pr_1230691.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd1/kofi-annan-799_complex_like-any-large-organisation-public-or-pr_1230691.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd1/kofi-annan-799_complex_like-any-large-organisation-public-or-pr_1230691.png) > “Like any large organisation, public or private, the UN is a complex machine.” [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The UN operates like a large, intricate system, similar to any big organization, with many interdependent parts. **In simple terms:** The UN is a complex machine. Key Takeaway Recognize interdependence in large institutions. Themes governance complexity global cooperation bureaucracy Mood analytical critical Type political organizational When to use this quote - policy making - international relations - organizational management Key Concepts Systems theory institutional analysis Questions to Reflect On - How can the UN become more agile? - What structures cause bottlenecks? A Different Perspective Complexity can cause slow decision‑making. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Complexes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complexes/) [Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) [Machines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/machines/) [United nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-nations/) ## Related quotes > [The fundamental task is to achieve smallness within large organisation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-f-schumacher/the-fundamental-task-is-to-achieve-smallness-within-large-organisation/) [E. F. Schumacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-f-schumacher/) > [The brain can be seen as a complex machine, like a gooey computer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-c-solomon/the-brain-can-be-seen-as-a-complex-machine-like-a-gooey-computer/) [Robert C. Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-c-solomon/) > [The United Nations World Charter for Nature, section 21, empowers any nongovernmental organisation or individual to uphold international conservation law in areas beyond national…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-watson/the-united-nations-world-charter-for-nature-section-21-empowers-any/) [Paul Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-watson/) > [Governments of rich countries spend some $6bn of tax money a year on disaster relief and development aid overseas, while each new earthquake, famine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-buchan/governments-of-rich-countries-spend-some-6bn-of-tax-money-a-year-on/) [James Buchan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-buchan/) > [It is clear that the international community has no other universal organisation of the likes of the United Nations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/it-is-clear-that-the-international-community-has-no-other-universal/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [The United Nations remains the sole universal international organisation designed to maintain global peace. And in this sense it has no alternative today. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/the-united-nations-remains-the-sole-universal-international/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [There was a deliberate decision after the failure of the League of Nations to make the next attempt to establish a global political actor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-a-falk/there-was-a-deliberate-decision-after-the-failure-of-the-league-of/) [Richard A. Falk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-a-falk/) > [The preservation of biodiversity is not just a job for governments. International and non-governmental organisations, the private sector and each and every individual have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/the-preservation-of-biodiversity-is-not-just-a-job-for-governments/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [ There was a time, with the Berlin Wall down, that \[it looked as if\] the UN finally could do what it was set up… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/there-was-a-time-with-the-berlin-wall-down-that-it-looked-as-if-the/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [In fact UN is more of a galaxy of organisations and agencies than one machine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/in-fact-un-is-more-of-a-galaxy-of-organisations-and-agencies-than-one/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [One must also acknowledge that there are moments in an organisation's development when fresh blood and new vision are required, which may imply that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/one-must-also-acknowledge-that-there-are-moments-in-an-organisation-s/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [Freedom has invented every useful machine, from the lowest to the highest, from the simplest to the most complex.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/freedom-has-invented-every-useful-machine-from-the-lowest-to-the/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [The global work of the United Nations is not without reason compared to that of a family - striving for a common goal in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/the-global-work-of-the-united-nations-is-not-without-reason-compared/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [More than ever before in human history, we share a common destiny. We can master it only if we face it together. And that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/more-than-ever-before-in-human-history-we-share-a-common-destiny-we/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [Beneath the surface of states and nations, ideas and language, lies the fate of individual human beings in need. Answering their needs will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/beneath-the-surface-of-states-and-nations-ideas-and-language-lies-the/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) ## More by Kofi Annan > [All our efforts to defeat poverty and pursue sustainable development will be in vain if environmental degradation and natural resource depletion continue unabated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/all-our-efforts-to-defeat-poverty-and-pursue-sustainable-development/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [UN peacekeeping operations are now increasingly complex and multi-dimensional, going beyond monitoring a ceasefire to actually bringing failed States back to life, often after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/un-peacekeeping-operations-are-now-increasingly-complex-and-multi/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [We were all children once. And we all share the desire for the well-being of our children, which has always been and will continue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/we-were-all-children-once-and-we-all-share-the-desire-for-the-well/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [You will recall that for months after 9/11, there was incredible support and sympathy for the US. I really hoped and wished they had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/you-will-recall-that-for-months-after-9-11-there-was-incredible/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [A nation has the right to defend itself, but when it comes to the broader issue of peace and security, the legitimacy rests only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/a-nation-has-the-right-to-defend-itself-but-when-it-comes-to-the/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [Sometimes when you take a tough action against one side in the conflict, they see you as part of the conflict and they attack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/sometimes-when-you-take-a-tough-action-against-one-side-in-the/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [Some have suggested that ideally there must be some international body that would treat areas like the Arctic as a global commerce, a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/some-have-suggested-that-ideally-there-must-be-some-international/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [In an age of interdependence, global citizenship - based on trust and sense of shared responsibility - is a crucial pillar of progress. At…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/in-an-age-of-interdependence-global-citizenship-based-on-trust-and/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [We knew the Syrian situation was complex and there were lots of divisions, particularly on the side of the opposition... This is a tough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/we-knew-the-syrian-situation-was-complex-and-there-were-lots-of/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [The question is the morning after. What sort of Iraq do we wake up to after the bombing? What happens in the region? What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/the-question-is-the-morning-after-what-sort-of-iraq-do-we-wake-up-to/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [I laugh a lot inside and outside, and at myself sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/i-laugh-a-lot-inside-and-outside-and-at-myself-sometimes/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [Can the state, which represents the whole of society and has the duty of protecting society, fulfill that duty by lowering itself to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/can-the-state-which-represents-the-whole-of-society-and-has-the-duty/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [As long as inequality and other social problems plague us, populists will try to exploit them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/as-long-as-inequality-and-other-social-problems-plague-us-populists/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [Developing and newer democracies are much more susceptible to the tactics of populists and demagogues - they often do not have strong institutions, free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/developing-and-newer-democracies-are-much-more-susceptible-to-the/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [The young and dynamic and idealistic people in the square do not have the chance to organise themselves politically, to be able to follow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/the-young-and-dynamic-and-idealistic-people-in-the-square-do-not-have/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) [Explore all 366 Kofi Annan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) ## More Complex quotes > [Ownership is a very complex judicial concept.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kapil-sibal/ownership-is-a-very-complex-judicial-concept/) [Kapil Sibal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kapil-sibal/) > [For many of us, work is the one place where we feel appreciated. The things that we long to experience at home - pride…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlie-russell-hochschild/for-many-of-us-work-is-the-one-place-where-we-feel-appreciated-the/) [Arlie Russell Hochschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlie-russell-hochschild/) > [I have faith in an audience being able to interpret complex material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-heineman/i-have-faith-in-an-audience-being-able-to-interpret-complex-material/) [Matthew Heineman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-heineman/) > [We're all complex human beings, and if some of that complexity shows through, I think it's advantageous for the movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-de-bont/we-re-all-complex-human-beings-and-if-some-of-that-complexity-shows/) [Jan de Bont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-de-bont/) > [Mike Tyson is the most complex person I've ever met in my life. I've known Mike since 1986. We're both from Brooklyn. I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-lee/mike-tyson-is-the-most-complex-person-i-ve-ever-met-in-my-life-i-ve/) [Spike Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-lee/) > [Life is complex. It has real and imaginary components.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-potter/life-is-complex-it-has-real-and-imaginary-components/) Tom Potter > [As they grow, companies saturate their markets, become more complex and difficult to manage, and face larger and more entrenched competitors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-berenson/as-they-grow-companies-saturate-their-markets-become-more-complex-and/) [Alex Berenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-berenson/) > [“The act of consciousness is central; otherwise we are overrun by the complexes. The hero in each of us is required to answer the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hollis/the-act-of-consciousness-is-central-otherwise-we-are-overrun-by-the/) [James Hollis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hollis/) > [Post-minimalism implies music that's genre-less. Minimalism was very important because it came at a time when contemporary music had become so complex, so experimental…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-beiser/post-minimalism-implies-music-that-s-genre-less-minimalism-was-very/) [Maya Beiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-beiser/) > [“The relationship of a girl and her favorite novel can be complex indeed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-cremer/the-relationship-of-a-girl-and-her-favorite-novel-can-be-complex/) [Andrea Cremer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-cremer/) > [I understand that finance can be very complex.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-harrington/i-understand-that-finance-can-be-very-complex/) [Kevin Harrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-harrington/) > [“War is always more complex. Economics, history, religion all have a role, but not for the ones dodging the bullets. They just get blown…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-carter/war-is-always-more-complex-economics-history-religion-all-have-a-role/) [Bill Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-carter/) > [Through all those complex years I thought I was alone. I didn't care to look around and make this world my own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pantera/through-all-those-complex-years-i-thought-i-was-alone-i-didn-t-care/) [Pantera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pantera/) > [The Icesave matter is complex and it is understandable that the issue has been oversimplified by many. Unfortunately some of the basic facts of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johanna-siguroardottir/the-icesave-matter-is-complex-and-it-is-understandable-that-the-issue/) [Johanna Siguroardottir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johanna-siguroardottir/) > [Evil is relative - and what I mean by that is that our villains are as complex, as deep and as compelling as any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-johns/evil-is-relative-and-what-i-mean-by-that-is-that-our-villains-are-as/) [Geoff Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-johns/) Browse all 680 Complex quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Like any large organisation, public or private, the UN is a complex machine.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kofi Annan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/like-any-large-organisation-public-or-private-the-un-is-a-complex/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Complex" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/like-any-large-organisation-public-or-private-the-un-is-a-complex/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd1/kofi-annan-799_complex_like-any-large-organisation-public-or-pr_1230691.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd1/kofi-annan-799_complex_like-any-large-organisation-public-or-pr_1230691.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd1/kofi-annan-799_complex_like-any-large-organisation-public-or-pr_1230691.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Like any large organisation, public or private, the UN is a complex machine.” — Kofi Annan", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Kofi Annan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Like any large organisation, public or...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/like-any-large-organisation-public-or-private-the-un-is-a-complex/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/like-any-large-organisation-public-or-private-the-un-is-a-complex/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```