Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei
Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei was the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from December 1997 to November 2009. Born in Egypt in 1942, he gained a Bachelor’s degree in Law in 1962 from the University of Cairo and a Doctorate in International Law from New York University School of Law in 1974.
He began his career in the Egyptian Diplomatic Service in 1964, serving in the Permanent Missions of Egypt to the United Nations in New York and Geneva, in charge of political, legal and arms control issues. During this period, Dr. ElBaradei participated in the activities of many international and regional organizations, including: the United Nations General Assembly, the United Nations Security Council, the Conference on Disarmament, the United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea, the International Labour Organization, the World Health Organization, the Commission on Human Rights, the Organization of African Unity and the League of Arab States.
From 1974 to 1978 Dr. ElBaradei was a special assistant to the Foreign Minister of Egypt, during which time he was a member of the negotiating team that led to the conclusion of the disengagement agreements between Egypt and Israel. In 1980 he left the Diplomatic Service to join the United Nations and became a senior fellow in charge of the International Law Program at the United Nations Institute for Training and Research. From 1984, Dr. ElBaradei was a senior staff member of the IAEA Secretariat, holding a number of high-level policy positions, including that of the Agency´s Legal Adviser and subsequently the Assistant Director General for External Relations.
In October 2005, Dr. ElBaradei and the IAEA were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize “for their efforts to prevent nuclear energy from being used for military purposes and to ensure that nuclear energy for peaceful purposes is used in the safest possible way”. In its citation, the Norwegian Nobel Committee referred to the IAEA’s work as being of “incalculable importance”, and referred to Dr. ElBaradei as an “unafraid advocate” of new measures to strengthen the nuclear non-proliferation regime.
Dr. ElBaradei has received multiple other awards for his work as a public servant and as an advocate of tolerance, humanity and freedom, including the Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Medal; the Raymond “Jit” Trainor Award from Georgetown University for distinction in the conduct of diplomacy and the 2008 Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development.
He has also been the recipient of numerous honoris causa degrees and been honored with decorations including the Greatest Nile Collar – which is the the highest Egyptian civilian decoration – and the “Grand Cross of the Order of Merit” from Chile.
Dr. ElBaradei is married with two children and one grandchild.