The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has been announced as the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize 2013. The Nobel committee has said it won the award for "for its extensive efforts to eliminate chemical weapons." The Nobel committee went on to explain why the work of the OPCW is so important for peace, saying:
"The conventions and the work of the OPCW have defined the use of chemical
weapons as a taboo under international law. Recent events in Syria, where
chemical weapons have again been put to use, have underlined the need to
enhance the efforts to do away with such weapons."
Amusingly, the Nobel committee had to tweet at the OPCW as they couldn't get hold of them:
@OPCW Please contact us @Nobelprize_org we are trying get through to your office.
Nobelprize_org
@Nobelprize_org
@OPCW Please contact us @Nobelprize_org we are trying get through to your office.
Ahead of the official announcement, Norwegian news organization NRK announced the OPCW was "likely" to win for their work with the United Nations in efforts to review and destroy Syria's "stockpiles of chemical weapons."
Malala Yousafzai, 16, was the favourite to win for her activism in equality and education. If Yousafzai had won she would have been the youngest ever Peace laureate.