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British nature broadcaster David Attenborough, climate activist Greta Thunberg, and the World Health Organization (WHO) are among the newly announced nominees for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.
Last year saw 329 people and organizations nominated, but it's not been announced how many have been nominated for 2022.
Attenborough, who shows no sign of slowing down at 95, has been nominated for his efforts to inform about and protect Earth’s diversity, while Thunberg is on her fourth nomination for the fourth consecutive year for her climate activism.
This is also the second year the WHO, the United Nations agency tasked with spearheading global efforts to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, has been nominated.
Other nominees include the Myanmar National Unity Government formed by opponents of last year’s coup; Tuvalu's foreign minister Simon Kofe, who famously gave a speech at COP26 last year knee-deep in seawater to highlight the danger the island nation is in due to the climate crisis; and Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny.
More surprising nominees include Pope Francis, who has been nominated for his efforts to tackle the climate crisis and WIKILEAKS founder Julian Assange for his "fight for human rights, democracy, and freedom."
Nobel Peace Prize nominees may be submitted by anyone who meets the strict nomination criteria, including members of governments, university professors, members of international courts of law, previous winners, and members of the board of directors of organizations that have previously won.
The Norwegian Nobel Institute, which awards the Peace Prize, does not comment on nominations – it has a rule to keep names of nominators and unsuccessful nominees secret for 50 years – but it does have to accept nominations, compile a shortlist and select the laureates, announced in October.
The Nobel Peace Prize has always attracted more controversial or surprising nominees than its scientific cousins. Both Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump were nominated in 2021.
[H/T: Reuters]
