The Norwegian Nobel Committee, responsible for awarding the Nobel Peace Prize, has introduced formal ethics rules for the first time in its 125-year history following revelations about ties between a former committee leader and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The changes come amid heightened scrutiny over the impartiality and conduct of the committee’s members.

Emails published earlier this year exposed connections between Jeffrey Epstein, who died in prison in 2019, and Thorbjorn Jagland, a former head of the Nobel Committee and former prime minister of Norway. These revelations raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest and the committee's vulnerability to undue influence. In response, the committee implemented new ethics guidelines in March that require members to disclose professional affiliations and forbid the acceptance of gifts or travel that could appear to compromise their impartiality.

Jorgen Watne Frydnes, current chairman of the Nobel Committee, said the new rules aim to reinforce public trust in the institution by ensuring transparency and accountability. According to Kristian Berg Harpviken, the committee secretary, meetings now begin with checks for conflicts of interest, a practice designed to prevent situations similar to those highlighted by the Epstein revelations. “Epstein was so obviously a spider in the web, a broker and an influencer, that people should have seen they were getting too far into something they should have avoided,” Harpviken said.

The committee is composed of five members appointed by the Norwegian Parliament for six-year terms. Members are often former diplomats and officials, selected for their experience in politics and diplomacy, but sitting lawmakers are not eligible. The deliberations have traditionally been confidential, relying heavily on mutual trust among members rather than formalized guidelines.

The Epstein connections extended beyond Jagland, involving other prominent Norwegians such as Queen Mette-Marit, former foreign minister Borge Brende, and diplomat Mona Juul. Jagland is currently under investigation by Norway’s police economic crimes unit. The disclosures have prompted calls for a broader reform of the committee.

One recent example stirring debate involved Aase Tole, vice chair of the Nobel Committee, who reportedly undertook a paid consultancy trip to Ethiopia in 2024 related to a mining company. This raised questions about her relationship with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 and later led his country into conflict. The committee declined to comment on this issue.

Opposition members of the Green Party in Norway have called for changes to the prize selection process, advocating for criteria that emphasize professional expertise over political affiliation. However, a parliamentary vote in June rejected proposals aimed at overhauling the system.

Haakon Gjerlow, acting director of the Peace Research Institute Oslo, emphasized that recurring ethical controversies could undermine the prestige of the Nobel Peace Prize. The committee’s recent moves reflect an acknowledgment that tradition and goodwill alone are insufficient to safeguard the prize’s integrity in a complex and often fraught geopolitical environment.