Washington - President Barack Obama on Thursday said he would award the highest US civilian honour to 16 people around the world hailing from all walks of life and disciplines.

The recipients of the Medal of Freedom include South Africa's anti-apartheid campaigner Archbishop Desmond Tutu, physicist Stephen Hawking, micro-banking founder Mohammed Yunus, US Senator Edward Kennedy, tennis star Billie Jean King, actor Sidney Poitier and long- time US civil rights leader Reverend Joseph Lowery.

Also on the list are Mary Robinson, the first female president of Ireland and Sandra Day O'Connor, the first female Supreme Court justice in the United States.

More than 20,000 people have been awarded the Medal of Freedom since it was created by former president Harry Truman in 1945. Obama will formally hand out the awards at a ceremony on August 12.

Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected politician in the United States, and former Republican congressman and vice presidential candidate Jack Kemp will be honoured posthumously.

Other recipients include US health-care advocates, an American- Indian tribal chief and Hispanic actress Chita Rivera.

"Their tremendous accomplishments span fields from science to sports, from fine arts to foreign affairs. Yet they share one overarching trait: Each has been an agent of change," Obama said.

"Each saw an imperfect world and set about improving it, often overcoming great obstacles along the way."(dpa)