U.S. President Barack Obama has been awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize for what the Nobel Committee called “his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples.”

Friday’s announcement came as a surprise to many as Obama edged out Chinese dissident and pro Democracy leader Hu Jia and Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, two favorites for the award. In explaining the Nobel Committee’s decision the committee head Thorbjoern Jagland stated, “It was because we would like to support what he is trying to achieve.”

According to the five-member committee Obama’s efforts have included supporting international bodies and promoting nuclear disarmament.

The committee declared in a statement, “Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world’s attention and given its people hope for a better future.” The statement continued,

“His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world’s population.”

Obama becomes the third sitting U.S. President to win the Nobel Peace Prize, joining Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 and Woodrow Wilson in 1919. Jimmy Carter also won the award in 2002, more than two decades after he was out of office.

As Nobel Peace Prize laureate Obama will be presented a gold medal, a diploma and $1.4 million.

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