Ghana's Kofi Annan Wins Nobel Peace Prize ....

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OSLO, Norway (AP) - The United Nations and its Secretary-General Kofi Annan won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for ``their work for a better organized and more peaceful world.''

U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard woke Annan and told him the news shortly after 5 a.m. Friday morning. Speaking on CNN, Eckhard called the award ``a vote of confidence in our common future.''

``Since the end of the cold war, the U.N. has been able to move toward its full potential in the peace and security area,'' Eckhard said.

Annan, born in 1938 in Ghana, became U.N. secretary-general in 1997. He has been praised for his character, moral leadership, his efforts to stop civil wars in Africa and elsewhere and his efforts to combat AIDS.

He was the first leader to be elected from the ranks of United Nations staff. He was the head of U.N. peacekeeping operations when he was tapped for the top job after the United States lobbied to prevent his predecessor, Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt, from taking a second term.

In an unprecedented vote of confidence, Annan was unanimously re-elected to a second five-year term by the 189 U.N. member states in June, six months before his first term expires on Dec. 31.

Annan on Nobel: 'It's a Wonderful Feeling!'

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Awoken early this morning to hear he and the United Nations had won the Nobel peace prize, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said it was ``wonderful'' and a great recognition for the world body.

``It's a wonderful feeling and a great encouragement for us and the organization, for the work we have done until now,'' he said. ``It's a great recognition for the staff.''

Referring to the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States, Annan said, ``At the same time it is a great responsibility at such difficult moment but reinforces us in pursuing the search for peace.''

The Norwegian Nobel Committee praised the United Nations and 63-year-old Annan for working for peace throughout the world. It said Annan had brought ``new life'' to the U.N. and had fought for human rights and against AIDS (news - web sites) and international terrorism.

With more than 50,000 employees world wide, a New York headquarters, half a dozen regional branches worldwide and scores of field offices around the world, the United Nations was founded in 1945, on the ashes of World War Two. It now has 189 governments as members.

Annan, a native of Ghana, took office in 1997 and was easily elected to a second term in June, months before his first five-year term expired.