OSLO (Norway) – According to a survey of Norwegian lawmakers, this years Nobel Peace Prize nominees include Greta Thunberg, Russia’s top political critic Alexei Navalny, the WHO and its COVAX programme to secure fair access to COVID-19 vaccines for poor countries. These nominees were backed by Norwegian lawmakers who have a track record of picking the winner.
Thunberg was named as one of “the foremost spokespeople in the fight against the climate crisis”.
Navalny, nominated by Russian academics, was named for his “efforts for a peaceful democratisation of Russia” by Norwegian former minister Ola Elvestuen.
The battle against COVID-19 is front and centre, including a nomination for the GAVI vaccine alliance.
While the Norwegian Nobel Committee, can decide who wins the award, they do not comment on nominations, keeping secret for 50 years the names of nominators and unsuccessful nominees. The nominators can, however, choose to reveal their picks.
Thousands of people, from members of parliaments worldwide to former winners, are eligible to propose candidates. Nominations, which close on Sunday, do not imply an endorsement from the Nobel committee.
