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CNN Live Event/Special

Kofi Annan and United Nations Awarded Nobel Peace Prize

Aired October 12, 2001 - 05:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Now, for weeks we have started this hour with America's war on terrorism but today we're going to begin with a celebration of peace. We're going to show you now a live picture coming in from Oslo, Norway where we're waiting for the announcement of this year's Nobel Peace Prize winner. This is Gunnar Berge and he's going to be making the announcement. We'll first hear it in Norwegian and then we will hear it in English at some point.

GUNNAR BERGE, NOBEL AWARD COMMITTEE: (ANNOUNCEMENT IN NORWEGIAN)

HARRIS: As we're waiting for the English rendition of the final announcement this morning, we were trying to come up with an idea of who exactly might be the leading contenders. And you see this list we've put together, though we have no idea if this is the actual list that was considered. What we have here are the United Nations and its secretary general, Kofi Annan, Pope John Paul II, the International Red Cross, the U.N. War Crimes Tribunal, former President Jimmy Carter, who has been nominated a number of times.

And I believe that we did hear Kofi Annan's name just a moment ago.

BERGE: (ANNOUNCEMENT IN NORWEGIAN)

HARRIS: Joining us, if you're just joining us, what we're watching here is a live announcement from the Nobel committee. We're expecting any moment now to hear who has won this year's Nobel Peace Prize. We believe that it may be Kofi Annan or the U.N. We have heard his name mentioned at some point. We're waiting for the English version of the announcement right now. We're just -- here we go.

GUNNAR BERGE: ... for 2001 in two equal portions to the United Nations, U.N., and to its secretary general, Kofi Annan, for their work for a better organized and more peaceful world.

For 100 years, the Norwegian Nobel committee has sought to strengthen organized cooperation between states. The end of the cold war has at last made it possible for the U.N. to perform more fully the part it was originally intended to play. Today, the organization is at the forefront of efforts to achieve peace and security in the world and of the international mobilization aimed at meeting the world's economic, social and environmental challenges.

Kofi Annan has devoted almost his entire working life to the U.N. As secretary general, he has been preeminent in bringing new life to the organization. While clearly underlining the U.N.'s traditional responsibility for peace and security, he has also emphasized its obligation with regard to human rights.

He has risen to such new challenges as HIV AIDS and international terrorism and brought about more efficient utilization of the U.N.'s modus resources in an organization that can hardly become more than its members permit has made clear that sovereignty cannot be achieved behind which member states conceal their violations.

The U.N. in its history has in its history achieved many successes and suffered many setbacks. Through this first Peace Prize to the U.N. as such the Norwegian Nobel committee wishes in its centenary year to proclaim that the only negotiable route to global peace and cooperation goes by way of the United Nations.

HARRIS: Let's listen in and see if Gunnar Berge is going to be taking questions here and answering them in English. We're going to be moving on and there we have the final word this morning coming from the Nobel committee in Norway. Kofi Annan and the U.N. both recipients of this year's Nobel Peace Prize.

We're joined now on the telephone by U.N. Spokesman Fred Ekhardt and we're going to get the first reaction from the U.N. after this announcement. Good morning and congratulations.

FRED EKHARDT, U.N. SPOKESMAN (by telephone): Thank you very much.

HARRIS: It all...

EKHARDT: In fact, I'm talking from the secretary general's residence and we haven't yet received any official notification. But of course I just did hear the announcement, as you did.

HARRIS: Did the secretary general have any reaction when he heard the announcement?

EKHARDT: I called the secretary general. I woke him up and gave him the news, and he said well, that's terrific, but let's wait until it's official.

HARRIS: Well, if you have to call someone at 5:00 in the morning, that's a good reason to have to call him.

EKHARDT: Right.

HARRIS: This is quite an achievement. Any idea -- do you know how many times the U.N. has either been nominated or has won the Nobel Peace Prize?

EKHARDT: The U.N. itself has never received the Peace Prize. A number of U.N. agencies like the High Commissioner for Refugees have received it. I think about six times in the past different U.N. entities have won it. But this is the first time (AUDIO GAP) and it's the second time for a secretary general. Dag Hammarskjold was given the award posthumously.

HARRIS: Then what do you make of your receiving it this year, then, because this is a year where we had a hard time ourselves this morning even trying to think of who could be the leading contenders because this year there were no clear standouts, no, there was no major development when it came to any particular conflict around the world? What do you make of it?

EKHARDT: I think that since the end of the cold war the U.N. has been able to move towards its full potential in the peace and security area. So over the last 10, 12 years, we've seen some rather dramatic developments and I think this is really a vote of confidence in our common future.

HARRIS: Will we be hearing from the secretary general some time this morning?

EKHARDT: I hope you'll be able to talk to him. We're still, as I say, waiting for the committee to give him a call.

HARRIS: Well, you can call him back right now and tell him that he has our congratulations.

EKHARDT: OK.

HARRIS: Even while he's waiting for the official notification.

Thank you.

EKHARDT: Thanks very much.

HARRIS: Fred Ekhardt, thank you very much, and once again, congratulations.

The final word this morning coming from the Nobel committee. The U.N. and Secretary General Kofi Annan both recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize -- Carol.

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THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Now, for weeks we have started this hour with America's war on terrorism but today we're going to begin with a celebration of peace. We're going to show you now a live picture coming in from Oslo, Norway where we're waiting for the announcement of this year's Nobel Peace Prize winner. This is Gunnar Berge and he's going to be making the announcement. We'll first hear it in Norwegian and then we will hear it in English at some point.

GUNNAR BERGE, NOBEL AWARD COMMITTEE: (ANNOUNCEMENT IN NORWEGIAN)

HARRIS: As we're waiting for the English rendition of the final announcement this morning, we were trying to come up with an idea of who exactly might be the leading contenders. And you see this list we've put together, though we have no idea if this is the actual list that was considered. What we have here are the United Nations and its secretary general, Kofi Annan, Pope John Paul II, the International Red Cross, the U.N. War Crimes Tribunal, former President Jimmy Carter, who has been nominated a number of times.

And I believe that we did hear Kofi Annan's name just a moment ago.

BERGE: (ANNOUNCEMENT IN NORWEGIAN)

HARRIS: Joining us, if you're just joining us, what we're watching here is a live announcement from the Nobel committee. We're expecting any moment now to hear who has won this year's Nobel Peace Prize. We believe that it may be Kofi Annan or the U.N. We have heard his name mentioned at some point. We're waiting for the English version of the announcement right now. We're just -- here we go.

GUNNAR BERGE: ... for 2001 in two equal portions to the United Nations, U.N., and to its secretary general, Kofi Annan, for their work for a better organized and more peaceful world.

For 100 years, the Norwegian Nobel committee has sought to strengthen organized cooperation between states. The end of the cold war has at last made it possible for the U.N. to perform more fully the part it was originally intended to play. Today, the organization is at the forefront of efforts to achieve peace and security in the world and of the international mobilization aimed at meeting the world's economic, social and environmental challenges. Kofi Annan has devoted almost his entire working life to the U.N. As secretary general, he has been preeminent in bringing new life to the organization. While clearly underlining the U.N.'s traditional responsibility for peace and security, he has also emphasized its obligation with regard to human rights. >