Former US President Jimmy Carter – who rose from humble beginnings as a peanut farmer – has died aged 100.
A one-term US President, Carter came to office promising never to lie to the American people. He was swept aside by Republican Ronald Reagan in the 1980 election.
In the turbulent aftermath of Watergate, the former peanut farmer from Georgia pardoned Vietnam draft evaders and became the first US leader to take climate change seriously.
The BBC reports that Carter’s one term in office included brokering a landmark peace accord between Egypt and Israel
He also saw a struggling US economy and a disastrous attempt to free American hostages seized in Iran.
Later in life, he became a tireless worker for peace, the environment and human rights, for which he was recognised with a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.
US President Joe Biden describes Carter as “a man of principle, faith and humility,” while President-elect Donald Trump says Americans owe Carter a “debt of gratitude.”
The UN chief Antonio Guterres says Carter’s leadership “contributed significantly to international peace and security.”
When he left office, Carter had one of the lowest approval ratings of any US president – but in subsequent years, he did much to restore his reputation.
Carter went on a peace mission to North Korea on behalf of the US government, which resulted in an early effort to reach an agreement on dismantling its nuclear arsenal.
The Carter Presidential Center’s library became an influential clearinghouse of ideas and programmes intended to solve international problems and crises.
In 2002, Carter became the third US president, after Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, to win the Nobel Peace Prize – and the only one to earn it for his post-presidency work.
