Nobel Peace Prize announcement awaited in Oslo

[News_Editor]

OSLO, NORWAY (BNO NEWS) -- The 2013 Nobel Peace Prize, arguably the world's most honorable prize, is due to be awarded on Friday morning. A Pakistani teenager is believed to be a likely choice, but one report claims the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has been chosen.

The announcement is due to be made at 11:00 a.m. CET by the Norwegian Nobel Committee at The Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo, where dozens of journalists are waiting for the announcement by Thorbjørn Jagland, the Chair of the Nobel Committee who will emerge from a room to read a prepared statement.

Norwegian broadcaster NRK reported Friday morning that the Committee had decided to award the peace prize to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which is overseeing the destruction of Syria's chemical weapons arsenal. The broadcaster is known to have credible sources in the Committee, as it also leaked the winner of last year's award before the official announcement.

More than 250 individuals and organizations were nominated for this year's Nobel Peace Prize, surpassing the previous record, according to figures released in March. The list of candidates is kept secret for 50 years and the committee does not comment on possible names, but those who are eligible to nominate candidates sometimes reveal their choices.

Among those nominated is a 15-year-old Pakistani girl who made headlines in October 2012 after she was shot in the head by Taliban gunmen for advocating for girls' education and criticizing the militant group. The girl, Malala Yousafzai, was on her way home from school when the attack happened and has continued her campaign after recovering.

U.S. Army private Bradley Manning, who has admitted to sending classified material to whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks, is also among the candidates. Others on the list include Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos for his efforts to end the ongoing conflict with FARC guerrillas, Myanma (Burmese) President Thein Sein for putting the country on a path to democracy, and former U.S. President Bill Clinton for his charitable work.

The 259 candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize this year surpass the previous record of 247 nominations in 2011. There were 231 valid nominations for last year's peace prize, which was awarded to the European Union (EU) for its contribution to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe.

(Copyright 2013 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. Info: [email protected].)

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