Emergency Rooms Nominated Again for the Nobel Peace Prize

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The Director of the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO), Henrik Urdal, renewed the nomination of the "Emergency Response Rooms" for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize last Tuesday, after first nominating them in 2024.

This year’s nomination list includes five individuals and entities, with Sudan’s Emergency Response Rooms at the top. The other nominees are Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar; the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) alongside the Carter Center; the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom; and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) together with the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Each year, PRIO’s director compiles his own list of Nobel Peace Prize candidates based on an independent evaluation—a tradition that has continued for over two decades. However, this year’s list will be Urdal’s eighth and final one, as his tenure is set to end in July 2025.

Although Henrik Urdal is not affiliated with the Nobel Institute or the Norwegian Nobel Committee, his perspectives are widely recognized.

Regarding the nomination of the Emergency Response Rooms, Urdal stated at the end of January that their work "stands as a powerful testament to the strength of local resilience and collective action in the face of brutal war."

He added, "Their efforts, alongside the contributions of institutions, diplomats, and long-standing peace advocates on this year’s list, highlight the interconnected efforts required to advance justice and peace."

Explaining the nature of the Emergency Response Rooms and the conditions they operate under, Urdal noted, "These groups function in a decentralized manner, delivering essential humanitarian aid in an extremely complex conflict environment, with limited access to communities, resources, and infrastructure. Volunteers often operate in unsafe areas, facing threats of harassment and violence."

He further emphasized, "Awarding this year’s Nobel Peace Prize to a deserving humanitarian initiative such as the Emergency Response Rooms would underscore the critical importance of ensuring access to life-saving aid during times of conflict."

The Nobel Committee is set to announce its awards in various fields in October in Stockholm and Oslo. According to the Nobel Prize website, the Nobel Peace Prize, which will be announced on October 10, is considered the most prestigious.

Last year, the committee received 286 nominations, though the identities of the nominees were not disclosed, with only a few dozen publicly known.