The International Space Station (ISS) is among the leading contenders for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, as speculation intensifies ahead of the Norwegian Nobel Committee’s announcement scheduled for October 9 in Oslo. The nomination highlights the ISS as a rare example of international cooperation amid growing global tensions and retreat from multilateralism.
The Nobel Committee received 287 nominations this year, including more than 70 organizations. Experts note that the committee often rewards efforts that promote durable peace, international fraternity, and institutional work fostering these ideals.
Haakon Gjerløw, director of the Peace Research Institute Oslo, which issues an influential watch list of potential laureates, pointed to the ISS as a unique symbol of global collaboration in space exploration. This stands in stark contrast to geopolitical conflicts and rising nationalism elsewhere.
Other notable nominees include U.S. President Donald Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Ukraine children’s advocate Mykola Kuleba, Sudan’s Emergency Response Rooms—a grassroots relief network—and the Committee to Protect Journalists, which has faced challenges amid rising violence against reporters.
Both the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court (ICC) are also under consideration. The ICC has been subject to controversy due to arrest warrants issued against prominent leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump’s administration has been openly critical of the ICC, citing concerns over U.S. sovereignty, a stance echoed by some Republican lawmakers. The ICC’s chief prosecutor was recently removed amid sexual misconduct allegations, adding further complexity to its nomination.
The political context surrounding the prize remains complicated. Last year’s laureate María Corina Machado of Venezuela, in a highly symbolic gesture, presented her award to Trump following the removal of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces. This act underscores the ongoing influence of geopolitical considerations in the prize’s reception.
The award comes during a period marked by intense global conflicts, including those in Sudan, Ukraine, Yemen, Iran, and the broader Middle East. According to Shawn Davies, senior analyst at the Uppsala Conflict Data Program, international tensions are fueled in part by shifts in the global security order and a declining U.S. role in enforcing postwar rules. Davies suggested that Trump’s perceived involvement in ongoing conflict in Iran diminishes his chances of receiving the prize.
Meanwhile, there is growing advocacy for the Nobel Committee to recognize more women in peace efforts. To date, only 20 of the 112 individual Nobel Peace Laureates have been women, though recent years have seen increased recognition. Names of potential female winners circulating this year include Gaza-based surgeon Sara al-Saqqa and Russian opposition figure Yulia Navalnaya.
The Nobel awards week will begin with the announcement of the medicine prize on October 4, followed by physics, chemistry, literature, and culminating with the peace prize on October 9. The Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences will be announced the following week.