Jørgen Watne Frydnes, Chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee

Kristian Berg Harpviken, Director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute and Secretary of the Norwegian Nobel Committee

 

These allegations undermine trust in an institution which for 125 years has been responsible for administering the world’s most prestigious prize for peace. It is our duty to face the questions with transparency, accountability and a willingness to improve.

For an institution such as the Nobel Committee, it is no longer enough to point to tradition, history and good intentions. We must clearly communicate how we work, what rules apply, and how we improve those rules when necessary.

We have now carried out a thorough review of our practices and procedures. It shows room for significant improvement. In the past, verbal clarifications and mutual trust carried a great deal of weight. Committee procedures for written documentation and archiving have been unsatisfactory. Past practices are no longer sufficient.

We are therefore changing routines that have been in place for many decades. As a steward of Alfred Nobel’s legacy, the Nobel Committee should not be content to meet minimum standards of good management.

We have now introduced a new set of ethics regulations (PDF, 161KB). One of its key measures is the annual publication of a structured list disclosing committee members’ employment, positions of trust and financial interests as well as any gifts or travel received. This disclosure register will be quality-assured by an auditor. At the same time, we are strengthening our archiving and documentation procedures. Today’s committee members will be transparent about this information, which covers both their current and previous service on the committee. Former committee members must decide for themselves how they wish to respond if asked about the topic.

There has been public speculation about whether the current committee receives gifts of significant value. This is not the case. Flowers, souvenirs or other tokens of appreciation are sometimes presented in connection with award ceremonies and meetings. If, contrary to expectations, a gift with a value exceeding NOK 500 is received, the gift will be registered and made public.

Committee members are appointed by the Storting (the Norwegian parliament). It makes sense, then, to adopt a level of transparency comparable to that which applies to members of the Storting. Our new procedures are therefore based on standards established in the Public Administration Act and conform to the principles of the Storting’s register of appointments, financial interests, gifts and travel.

We will, of course, also assist the National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime (Økokrim) and other relevant authorities in connection with any investigation or inquiry, should the need arise.

It is also important for the public to understand the framework in which the Nobel Committee operates. Here, too, we need to be clearer.

The Nobel Committee is a private, independent institution. Alfred Nobel’s will states that the Peace Prize is to be awarded by a committee “of five persons to be selected by the Norwegian Storting”. The Storting assumed this responsibility in 1897. The committee is otherwise fully independent.

The provisions of the will direct the Nobel Committee to award the Nobel Peace Prize to the person or organisation that, in the preceding year, conferred the greatest benefit on humanity in the field of peace.

The committee’s discussions and evaluations do not occur in a vacuum. For each candidate and each topic, we seek the opinions of some of the world’s leading experts – academics with deep knowledge of the area in which the candidate works. We review a vast number of scholarly articles and other background material. As a result, our decisions are based on cutting-edge international expertise.

Membership of the Nobel Committee is a position of trust. Members are selected for a term of six years. Today’s committee consists largely of people who are professionally active and bring to the table a variety of perspectives, experiences and insights from their daily activities.

For members who work in the fields of international affairs, arms reduction, human rights, democracy and freedom of expression, it is both natural and necessary to have positions of responsibility or engagement in international forums, to attend conferences, and to be active in professional networks. The insight and knowledge gained from this activity is valuable to the committee, strengthening its capacity to assess and understand factors that contribute to peace.

The secrecy surrounding the actual laureate selection process is not unique to the Peace Prize. It is a fundamental operating principle for all the Nobel Prize committees in Norway and Sweden and has been enshrined in the Statutes of the Nobel Foundation since the prizes were established more than 125 years ago.

Nominations, evaluations and internal deliberations are to remain confidential for 50 years. This policy is essential for the system to function. Confidentiality protects the safety of Peace Prize nominees and the people who nominate them while also insulating against improper

attempts to influence the process. Without a shield of secrecy, the pressure brought to bear on the work of the committee would be far greater, and at worst, impossible to manage.

One effect of the policy is that if a committee member were to be contacted directly by a Peace Prize candidate the approach could only be reported internally. Such information could not be shared publicly because it could reveal something related to the selection of that year’s laureate – which, under the statutes, is subject to the 50-year duty of confidentiality.

This illustrates the delicate balance the committee must strike. While the evaluations and nominations must be shielded from public scrutiny, the framework of the work process requires transparency.

The duty of confidentiality remains fixed, but it does not apply to all aspects of the committee’s work.

Information related to employment, other positions held, gifts and travel paid for by parties other than oneself or one’s employer are generally outside the scope of the laureate selection process and can therefore be handled transparently. We are now making this information publicly available.

The Nobel Peace Prize is more than an annual award. It is an institution built on generations of trust. Our task is to manage this legacy in such a way that the foundation of trust remains as strong in the future as it has been in the past.

An institution that exercises considerable authority must also be open to independent review. This strengthens both the legitimacy and the quality of its work.

The Nobel Committee’s independence remains intact. The actions we are now taking will increase transparency around how the committee manages this independence.

 

Ethical framework and transparency in processes related to the Nobel Peace Prize

  • New ethics regulations: The Nobel Committee’s ethical guidelines are being replaced with a binding set of ethics regulations.
  • Annual publication of a disclosure register: Committee members must annually make public a structured list of their employment, positions held and financial interests as well as gifts and travel.
  • External quality control: This register is to undergo examination by an auditor.
  • Retroactive transparency: Current committee members will be transparent about their employment, other positions held, business activities, property holdings and gifts for the full duration of their tenure on the committee.
  • Alignment with the Storting’s standards: The new procedures are based on the Public Administration Act and adhere to the principles of the Storting’s register of appointments and financial interests.
  • Stronger documentation procedures: The committee recognises that verbal clarifications and mutual trust are no longer sufficient, and that all significant ethical matters that arise must be documented in writing and archived securely.
  • Cooperation with the authorities: The committee will assist the National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime (Økokrim) and other relevant authorities in connection with investigations or inquiries.
  • Clearer communication about the Committee’s operational framework: The Nobel Committee recognises that public awareness of how it operates is essential, and it will communicate clearly about the work of selecting each year’s Peace Prize laureate.