ElBaradei, Mohamed Mostafa, << el BEHR uh day, muh HAH mahd muhs TAH fah >> (1942-…), is an Egyptian scholar, diplomat, and politician. ElBaradei served as director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from 1997 to 2009. The IAEA is an organization within the United Nations that promotes safe and peaceful uses of nuclear energy throughout the world. It also works to ensure that nuclear materials intended for peaceful activities are not used for military purposes. In 2005, ElBaradei and the IAEA won the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to prevent the spread and use of nuclear weapons.
In 2009, ElBaradei stepped down as IAEA head. He then announced plans to run against Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in 2011 elections. Unable to draw much support, ElBaradei left Egypt. In January 2011, mass protests broke out against the Mubarak regime. ElBaradei returned to Egypt, where he emerged as a leader of the opposition. Mubarak resigned his presidency on February 11. Mohamed Morsi was elected Egypt’s new president in June 2012. In July 2013, the Egyptian army removed Morsi from power and named Adly Mansour as Egypt’s new president. ElBaradei briefly served as vice president in the interim government.
ElBaradei was born in Cairo, Egypt, on June 17, 1942. He received a bachelor’s degree in law from Cairo University in 1962. In 1974, he earned a doctorate in international law from the New York University School of Law.
In 1964, ElBaradei joined Egypt’s diplomatic service, where he was active in areas of law, politics, and arms control. After leaving the diplomatic service in 1980, he became a senior fellow at the United Nations Institute for Training and Research and taught at the New York University School of Law. He became a senior member of the IAEA Secretariat in 1984.
