IFSH press release.
On Friday, the Nobel Prize Committee will announce to whom they will award this year's Nobel Peace Prize. Prof Dr. Michael Brzoska, former Director of the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy (IFSH), with an assessment of who would be worthy of the prize in 2024:
In 2024, the Nobel Peace Prize will be awarded under the shadow of increasing warfare, including in Ukraine, Sudan, and the Middle East. The Nobel Prize Committee could try to send a signal regarding the situation in the Middle East. It would be a good idea to award the prize to an organization or person who, despite current developments, is working towards understanding between Israelis and Palestinians. One such civil society organization is, for example, “The Parents Circle - Families Forum”. David Shulman, an Israeli who has been campaigning for Palestinians in the West Bank for years, could be considered worthy of an award.
Another approach to curbing wars and thus contributing to peace is the prosecution and punishment of war criminals. Charges have been brought before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague against Vladimir Putin as the main perpetrator of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan has also requested the indictment of the leaders of Hamas, as well as Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoaw Gallant. The ICC has thus become a leading candidate for the prize.
However, instead of the ICC, the Nobel Committee could also award the prize to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), also in The Hague. The ICJ has caused a stir this year, particularly with its advisory opinion on the Israeli occupation of Palestine and its rulings on the question of Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip.
Beyond the current conflicts, international cooperation has been in crisis for some time. It is therefore highly commendable that the Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), António Guterres, has succeeded in negotiating a joint declaration by all states in the run-up to the “Summit of the Future” in September 2024. Considering his other efforts to achieve peace in numerous conflicts, this could be the deciding factor for the Nobel Committee to award Guterres the prize.
List of Nobel Peace Prize favorites Prof Dr. Michael Brzoska 2024:
1 The Parents Circle - Families Forum
2. David Shulman
3. International Criminal Court in The Hague
4. International Court of Justice in The Hague
5. António Guterres