Nobel leader — Mohamed ElBaradei Credit: R. BLAHA/AP

Of all the Nobel prizes, the award for peace is the most political. After France resumed nuclear testing in June 1995, the Nobel committee awarded that year's prize to nuclear disarmament campaigner Joseph Rotblat and his creation, the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs. The 2005 choice, say nuclear-policy experts, is equally entrenched in politics.

The winners, announced on 7 October, are the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and its director, Mohamed ElBaradei. Although the agency is tasked with impartiality while monitoring the potential spread of nuclear weapons, it has been at the centre of political disputes involving Iraq and Iran. Observers say that the prize is a signal from the Nobel committee that the agency has maintained neutrality during these rows.

Before the Iraq war, IAEA staff said there was no evidence for an ongoing nuclearweapons programme in the country, a view vindicated by coalition inspectors after the war began. The agency is asking for more time to continue its work in Iran, but fears that its inspections may be curtailed because of US demands to refer Iran to the United Nations security council.

‘This year's prize is clearly intended as a signal of support for multilateral diplomacy and inspections, rather than the use of military force,’ says Rebecca Johnson, director of the Acronym Institute for Disarmament Diplomacy in London.

The award was also a major boost for IAEA scientists who inspect nuclear facilities. Spokeswoman Melissa Fleming says that staff at the agency's Vienna headquarters were shocked and then jubilant on hearing of the award. ElBaradei had taken the day off, but hurried into the office after hearing of his prize on television news.

Is the award likely to result in anything more permanent than a glow of pride? Fleming is cautious, but says that the prize will at least make it harder for countries to ignore ElBaradei's pleas for more funding. The agency has what ElBaradei calls a ‘shoestring’ inspection budget of US$100 million a year.

Others suggest that the award could strengthen the IAEA's position in arguments about whether inspections, or tougher measures such as sanctions or military force, are the best way to deal with countries with alleged nuclear-weapons ambitions. But that is wishful thinking given the current US government's antipathy towards ElBaradei, says Michael Levi, an armscontrol expert at King's College London. ‘The award is not going to change the credibility of the IAEA in the United States,’ he says. ‘The people who don't like the agency don't like the Nobel Peace Prize.’

See Editorial, Peace and honour.