A total of 329 candidates have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize 2021. This was announced today by the Norwegian Nobel Committee. There is no official list of candidates, but it is known that very different candidates have been put forward: from the World Health Organization (WHO) to Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu, Greta Thunberg, Black Lives Matter, and Alexei Navalny.
There are 234 people and 95 organizations on the candidate list. The contenders have not been announced: the Nobel Committee must keep the names secret for at least fifty years. This duty of confidentiality does not bind those who may nominate a Nobel Prize winner.
So they can decide for themselves whether or not to disclose the name of their proposed candidate. People who may nominate candidates are MPs or Ministers from all countries, former laureates, some university professors, etc.
For example, it is already known that several health organizations are on the list because of the role they play in tackling the corona pandemic. The World Health Organization (WHO), the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi), and the Coalition for Innovations in Preparing for Pandemics (Cepi), among others, have a chance to win the prestigious peace prize.
Much-discussed opposition members such as the Belarusian Svetlana Tikhanovskaya and the Russian Alexei Navalny are also on the list. They are accompanied by former US President Donald Trump, his son-in-law Jared Kushner, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. They are named for their efforts to normalize diplomatic relations between Israel and a range of Muslim countries.
Other household names include Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, the Black Lives Matter movement, NATO, the pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong, the UN refugee agency UNHCR, the campaign to ban killer robots, and the scouts’ movement.
The nomination does not imply a value judgment by the Nobel Committee. All nominations will be accepted, provided they are submitted by January 31 by someone authorized to do so.
On October 8, it will be announced who will succeed the UN World Food Program as the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.
