WASHINGTON - A “surprised and deeply humbled” President Barack Obama said Friday he viewed the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize as a way to give impetus to broadly shared aspirations.

“To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who’ve been honoured by this prize,” Obama said in the White House Rose Garden hours after winning the award for his work to improve international diplomacy and rid the world of nuclear weapons.

He did not view it as a “recognition of my own accomplishments”, but he said the peace prize has often been used “to give momentum to a set of causes.”

Therefore, he said, he would accept the prize “as a call to action” to confront the challenges of the 21st century, including nuclear non-proliferation, climate change and racial and religious discord.

Obama is the third sitting US president - and the first in 90 years - to win the coveted peace prize.

“I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments, but rather as an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people in all nations,” Obama said of the peace prize.

Throughout history, the prize “has not just been used to honour specific achievement,” he said.

“It’s also been used as a means to give momentum to a set of causes. And that is why I will accept this award as a call to action - a call for all nations to confront the common challenges of the 21st century.”

He said the world cannot accept “the terror of a nuclear holocaust” or “the growing threat posed by climate change.” And he called for pursuing “a new beginning among people of different faiths and races and religions, one based upon mutual interest and mutual respect.”

Obama urged renewed effort to “resolve those conflicts that have caused so much pain and hardship” over the years, notably the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

But he also stressed that “we have to confront the world as we know it today,” indicating that he must continue to manage US involvement in the wars in Iran and Afghanistan.

He noted that he is “the commander-in-chief of a country that’s responsible for ending a war and working in another theater to confront a ruthless adversary that directly threatens the American people and our allies.”

Obama cautioned: “Some of the work confronting us will not be completed during my presidency. Some, like the elimination of nuclear weapons, may not be completed in my lifetime.”

The peace prize “is not simply about the efforts of my administration - it’s about the courageous efforts of people around the world,” Obama said.

“And that’s why this award must be shared with everyone who strives for justice and dignity.”