Nobel Peace Prize 2022: Sir David Attenborough, WHO, Pope Francis, Navalny among nominees

UK brocaster David Attenborough, jailed Russian opposition leer Alexei Navalny, Pope Francis and World Health Organisation (WHO) are some of nominees for Nobel Peace Prize. According to Sky News, Norwegian lawmakers revealed nominees for prestigious award include popular dissidents including Belarusian Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya who is living in exile in Vilnius and Myanmar National Unity Government which was formed by opponents of last year’s coup in country. It is to mention that Nobel Prizes are awarded to "those who, during preceding year, have conferred greatest benefit to mankind,"  according to 1895 will of Alfred Nobel,  a Swedish chemist & engineer.

Tuvalu’s foreign minister Simon Kofe, who underscored threat of climate change to his nation by recording a speech for United Nations (UN) climate conference standing knee-deep in seawater, has also been nominated for Nobel Peace Prize. It is to note that from lawmakers to former winners, thousands of people can propose candidates for prize awarded by Swedish committee. 

95-year-old Attenborough, who has risen to global fame owing to TV nature programmes, is also being backed by Norwegian lawmakers who have a track record of picking winner of prize, stated report. Attenborough was jointly nominated by Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), which monitors state of biodiversity worldwide for policy makers. As per Sky News, Norwegian Green Party leer, Une Bastholm said that Nobel Peace Prize nominees were chosen for “ir efforts to inform about, and protect, Earth's natural diversity, a prerequisite for sustainable and peaceful societies.”

WHO nominated for prize second year in row

ditionally, report also stated that Pope Francis was nominated for his efforts to help tackle climate change and also for working towards peace and reconciliation. Kofe was nominated by leer of Norway's Liberal Party, Guri Melby. WHO was nominated for second consecutive year after being at forefront of COVID-19 pandemic. director of Peace Research Institute Oslo, Henrik Urdal said that organisation is “likely to be discussed in Committee for this year's prize".

Nobel Peace Prize 2021 was awarded to Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov “for ir efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.”  In a statement, acemy noted Ressa and Muratov’s “courageous fight for freedom of expression” in Philippines and Russia.

(Image: AP)