NEW YORK - Kofi Annan, the soft-spoken Secretary General of the United Nations, said today it was a "wonderful feeling" to have been chosen as this year's winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. He shares the award with the UN itself, where he has served at numerous levels for most of his professional life.
The Nobel Committee cited Mr Annan, 63, who is a native of Ghana, for being "pre-eminent in bringing new life to the UN".
The award was being made simultaneously to the entire organisation, because it remains "at the forefront of efforts to achieve peace and security in the world".
Jubilant staff members crammed into the lobby of UN headquarters in New York to cheer Mr Annan as he arrived for work yesterday.
Chosen to replace Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt as Secretary General in 1997, he commands immense popularity among the 52,000 employees of the world body. "It's a wonderful feeling and a great encouragement for us and the organisation, for the work we have done until now," Mr Annan said after being given the news at his official residence this morning. "It's a great recognition for the staff."
It is the first time that the UN as a whole has received the peace prize. The only other secretary-general to win was Sweden's Dag Hammarskjold, awarded the prize posthumously in 1961.
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