Prize Committee Biography

Dr Mohamed ElBaradei is an advocate for peace, freedom and democracy in the Arab world. He is Director General Emeritus of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and served as Director General between 1997 and 2009.

Dr ElBaradei previously served in the Egyptian Diplomatic Service, participating in policy and legal activities with organisations including the UN General Assembly, the Conference on Disarmament, and the Commission on Human Rights. From 1974 to 1978, Dr ElBaradei was a special assistant and legal advisor to the Foreign Minister of Egypt.

Dr ElBaradei has held positions on boards at organisations including The Global Citizenship Commission, Transparency International, the Coalition of Dialogue on Africa, and the UN High-Level Commission on HIV Prevention. 

In 2005, Dr ElBaradei and the IAEA were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for efforts to prevent nuclear energy being used for military purposes. He is also the recipient of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Medal, the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development, and the Prize for Statesmanship of Friends of Europe.