File photo taken on Dec. 19, 2006 shows then UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan smiling during his final press conference at the United Nations headquarters in New York. Multiple Ghanaian media sources have confirmed that former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan died at a hospital in Switzerland on Saturday. He was 80 years old. (Xinhua/Zhao Peng)

ACCRA, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Multiple Ghanaian media sources have confirmed that former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan died at a hospital in Switzerland on Saturday.

The former UN chief and Nobel Peace Prize laureate died at the age of 80 after a short illness, according to Ghanaian media quoting family sources.

Annan and the UN were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize. He was awarded the Peace Prize for having revitalized the UN and for having given priority to human rights.

Annan was married to Nane Maria Annan with whom he had three children.