United Nations Radio

The announcement by the Nobel Committee that it is awarding the Peace Prize to US President Barack Obama has been met with mixed reactions, ranging from support to skepticism. Here's a sampling from visitors to the UN in this report by Bissera Kostova.

VOX: "Because he's a great guy, he is a peace-seeking guy, he is a true statesman, and he stands for good things in this world, compared to his predecessor."
"He's a great talker, but so far his actions don't, you know, show what he speaks for, so I don't think he deserves it."
"We see already from some aspects of his leadership he has good intentions and combine that with the Nobel prize, it might actually give him more incentive or even push some of his agenda to be recognized."
"I think it's surprising that it's so early on, actually, because it's only been a few months when we think about it."
"I think the fact that a US President won is awesome and I think it will go a long way to reestablish the US in a positive light across the world."

NARRATOR: On the other hand, the reaction of top UN officials has been unequivocally enthusiastic.

SG: This is great news for President Obama, for the people of the United States, and for the United Nations.

NARRATOR: Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon congratulated President Barack Obama on being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

SG: President Obama's commitment to work through the United Nations gives the world's people fresh hope and fresh prospects.

NARRATOR: One of the first international figures to offer his congratulations was another Nobel laureate, Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna.

ElBaradei: I mean I think the committee understood fully, as they have done in 2005, that we really need to address that number one security threat we face in the world which is to get rid of these inhumane weapon, and Obama has taken the leadership after two wasted decades, completely wasted decades. He managed to put nuclear disarmament on the top of the international agenda. He presided over for the first time in 60 years, over a Security Council meeting, summit meeting, dedicated to recommit to nuclear disarmament through concrete steps. He's engaged in serious negotiations with Russia to slash drastically their nuclear arsenals. He is pushing the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty through Congress. He is advocating a treaty that prohibits the production of nuclear material for weapon purposes, so he's doing so many concrete steps, in fact to make a world free from nuclear weapons a reality.

NARRATOR: On September 24th, President Obama chaired a UN Security Council meeting in which members unanimously adopted a resolution stating their shared commitment to the goal of a world free of nuclear weapons.

Obama: We harbour no illusions about the difficulty of bringing about a world without nuclear weapons. We know that there are plenty of cynics and that there will be setbacks that prove their point, but there will also be days like today that push us forward and tell a different story. It is the story of a world that understands that no difference or division is worth destroying all that we have built and all that we love. It is a recognition that can bring people of different nationalities, ethnicities and ideologies together.

NARRATOR: US President Barack Obama, the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate for 2009. For UN Radio, I'm Bissera Kostova.

Producers: Bissera Kostova and Chelsea Moore
Duration: 3'17"