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The International Peace Bureau (IPB) Has Announced its Intention to Nominate Three Remarkable Organizations with a Focus on the Right to Conscientious Objection for the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

3 August 2023

The International Peace Bureau (IPB) Has Announced its Intention to Nominate Three Remarkable Organizations with a Focus on the Right to Conscientious Objection for the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize

Berlin, Germany – The International Peace Bureau (IPB) has announced our intention to nominate three exceptional organizations for the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize: the Russian Movement of Conscientious Objectors, the Ukrainian Pacifist Movement, and the Belarusian organization “Our House”. The decision to nominate these three organizations is a testament to their unwavering dedication in advocating for the right to conscientious objection to military service and promoting human rights and peace in their respective countries.

The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the world’s most esteemed awards, recognizing individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the pursuit of peace and harmony. The nomination period for the 2024 prize will open on 1 September 2023 and the nominations will be promptly submitted for consideration.

The Russian Movement of Conscientious Objectors (https://stoparmy.org/), the Ukrainian Pacifist Movement (http://pacifism.org.ua/), and the Belarusian Our House (https://news.house/) have demonstrated unparalleled excellence and dedication in their efforts as defenders of peace, conscientious objection, and human rights, especially after the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine began on 24 February 2022 and despite the considerable stigmatization each organization has faced since.

The fundamental right to conscientious objection to military service is an inherent human right, protected under the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion as safeguarded by Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). This right remains inalienable, even during periods of public emergency, as explicitly stated in Article 4(2) of the ICCPR. Embracing conscientious objection is a concrete means of contributing to peace. Hence, it becomes imperative to emphasize and safeguard this fundamental human right, especially during times of war.

Even in the face of escalating threats, the three movements persist in their dedication to aiding individuals who resist war and military mobilization. Their focus is particularly on supporting those who endure persecution, torture, and imprisonment. This commitment encompasses all instances of forced and violent recruitment into participating armies, as well as the persecution of conscientious objectors, deserters, and non-violent anti-war demonstrators.

“We are humbled and honored to nominate these three remarkable movements for the Nobel Peace Prize. Their courage in championing the right to conscientious objection and their tireless efforts to promote peace and human rights serve as an inspiration to us all,” said Philip Jennings, Co-President of IPB.

By nominating these three movements, we seek to raise awareness about the importance of the right to conscientious objection, fostering peace and human rights. Furthermore, we hope that the announcement of this intended nomination will remind and pressure governments and nations across the globe to respect the right to conscientious objection in their own countries and provide alternatives to military service for those that object. This includes the right to asylum for conscientious objectors forced to flee their own countries in order to avoid military service.

We call other organizations and particularly Nobel Peace Laureates from across the globe to support this nomination. Together our voices in support for conscientious objection can protect those who are selflessly putting their lives on the line to defend their beliefs and their compatriots who reject war and violence.

The selection process for Nobel Peace Prize laureates is highly competitive and is conducted by esteemed committees dedicated to recognizing peace efforts worldwide. We firmly believe that these three movements stand among the most deserving candidates for this prestigious recognition.

About IPB

The International Peace Bureau is dedicated to the vision of a World Without War. Our current main programme centres on Disarmament for Sustainable Development and within this, our focus is mainly on the reallocation of military expenditure. We are a Nobel Peace Laureate (1910); over the years, 13 of our officers have been recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize.

For media inquiries or further information, please contact:

International Peace Bureau

info@ipb-office.berlin

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Justice for Yurii Sheliazhenko

Berlin, Germany – The International Peace Bureau strongly condemns the Security Service of Ukraine’s (SBU) decision to charge IPB Councilmember and Seán MacBride Prize Laureate Yurii Sheliazhenko with “justification of Russian aggression” and search of his apartment. The charge is based solely on Sheliazhenko’s “Peace Agenda for Ukraine and the World,” a document which explicitly condemns the Russian invasion of Ukraine and promotes peace, justice, and the right to conscientious objection to military service.

Yurii and his organization, the Ukrainian Pacifist Movement, have always opposed both sides of the current war and advocated for dialogue, negotiations, and a peaceful resolution which addresses the underlying causes of the war.

We call on the Ukrainian government and the SBU to respect the rights of conscientious objectors and the right to free speech for peace in Ukraine, rights that cannot be violated even during times of war. We vow to support Yurii’s rights and to rally international support for his freedom and wellbeing.

Yurii’s response to the charges and search can be found at https://worldbeyondwar.org/we-object-to-the-illegal-search-and-seizure-at-apartment-of-yurii-sheliazhenko-in-kyiv/

A petition for the Ukrainian government to drop the prosecution of Yurri can be found here: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/tell-the-ukrainian-government-to-drop-prosecution-of-peace-activist-yurii-sheliazhenko/

Please see attached Press Release.

IPB-Statement-Yuri Download

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Report – 2nd Negotiations Round on a Nulcear Weapons Ban Treaty

After the successful session in March 2017 and the publication of the draft of the Convention to prohibit nuclear weapons by the Chair Ambassador Elayne Whyte from Costa Rica, the Second round of negotiations on a Convention started on June 15^th.

The sprit of the 125+ participating countries is productive and dynamic and no major disagreements have been stopping the hard works of the participants from going forward. Nuclear weapons States possessors and their allies, the countries who rely on nuclear weapons in their security doctrines, have chosen to boycott the process, except the Netherlands. Continue reading “Report – 2nd Negotiations Round on a Nulcear Weapons Ban Treaty”

IPB Statement in Solidarity with Education International and Palestinian Educators

The International Peace Bureau (IPB) stands with Education International (EI) in condemning the Israeli occupation authorities for denying entry to, detaining, interrogating, and forcibly removing a delegation of education workers’ leaders who planned to mark the International Day of Education alongside Palestinian colleagues.

The actions of Israel demonstrate their increasing efforts to isolate Palestinians from international solidarity and support and must be unequivocally rejected. The IPB emphasizes that the right to education, academic freedom, trade union rights, and solidarity must be upheld for all peoples.

The IPB stands with Palestinian educators. We therefore join EI’s call on the international community to mobilize and speak out in defense of education, peace, freedom, and justice for Palestinians and those who stand in solidarity with them.

IPB_EI_29.01.2026 Download

The Doomsday Clock is now set at 85 seconds to midnight

For the first time in history, the symbolic clock has moved to its most perilous point ever—just 85 seconds from global catastrophe. This historic move was announced by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists’ Science and Security Board, citing a critical “failure of leadership” in the face of escalating existential threats.

The time was moved closer to midnight due to a dangerous convergence of crises in the past year:

Nuclear Risks: The collapse of arms control, three regional conflicts involving nuclear powers, and an accelerating arms race.
Climate Change: Record-breaking global temperatures and CO₂ levels, met with insufficient and often destructive policy responses.
Biological Threats: New warnings about “mirror life” and AI-aided pathogen design, alongside degraded public health defenses.
Disruptive Technologies: The unregulated rush to militarize AI and its role in supercharging global disinformation.

This is a wake-up call, not a verdict. As Maria Ressa, Nobel Laureate and Bulletin speaker, stated: “We cannot solve problems we cannot agree exist… The clock is ticking.”

The Bulletin outlines clear steps world leaders must take to turn back the Clock, including resuming nuclear diplomacy, enacting meaningful AI guidelines, and committing to science-based climate action.

Read the full 2026 Doomsday Clock Statement here and see what can be done.

Trump’s Board of Peace, the UN, Gaza and Opportunism

By Anuradha Chenoy

Anuradha Chenoy is an IPB Board member. The thoughts in this article are
her own and do not necessarily reflect those of the IPB.

Nothing can be more cynical than President Donald Trump’s proposal for a new “Board of Peace” (BoP). Marketed as an international peace-building organization, this initiative would enact a self-serving mechanism that bypasses established international institutions while offering a premium seat on the table of global affairs in exchange for a $1 billion membership fee.

The BoP originates from Security Council Resolution 2803, 2025, which calls for a comprehensive plan to end the Gaza conflict, establishing a transitional body until 2027. This resolution contains specific mandates: an international stabilization force to facilitate the Israeli Defense Forces’ withdrawal and the full resumption of humanitarian aid through UN cooperation.

While the BoP is presented as a nimble and effective peace-delivering body, its Charter nevertheless omits any mention of Gaza. Instead, it transforms the peacekeeping mandate of the 2803 Resolution into a self-serving and self-gratifying body that criticizes the United Nations. Trump’s claim of the need to depart from approaches and institutions that have too often failed is his way of delegitimizing the UN. This criticism of international institutions is consistent with the US withdrawal from approximately 60 UN bodies under Trump’s administration.

Trump: Self-proclaimed emperor of world peace

The BoP Charter establishes Trump as the “inaugural Chairman” and the US representative with extraordinary powers that effectively create a lifetime position. The Chairman possesses exclusive authority to create, modify or dissolve any entity within the BoP, control membership invitations and dismissals and designate successors. Only if the Chairman is incapacitated can the Executive Board unanimously decide on a replacement. In other words, these provisions essentially declare Trump the emperor of world peace with his handpicked council.

The founding Executive Board reveals the nature of his intents. Members include Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, builder friend Steve Witkoff, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, World Bank President Ajay Banga and billionaire private equity chief Marc Rowan, blending family connections, political allies and corporate power, exposing the BoP’s private interests.

The $1 billion fee

While member states will serve a three-year term, they can secure permanent seats for over $1 billion. This creates a two-level system, where wealthy states using taxpayer money can purchase permanent influence over international peace efforts. Member states will be the funders of the BoP, along with unspecified “organizations”, which will likely be major technology companies openly supporting Trump and profit from global affairs.

The Charter declares that the BoP possesses “international legal personality with authority to enter contracts for its missions and for financial purposes. Disputes between members will be solved through “amicable collaboration”, with the Chairman having the final say. For example, both India and Pakistan have been invited to join; they could resolve disputes here, with the Chairman having the final say. This framework privatizes international diplomacy, transforming peace-building into a commercial opportunity controlled by those who can afford its entry.

Gaza: a real estate opportunity

The White House announced a Gaza Executive Board consisting of Kushner, Witkoff, Blair, Bulgarian billionaire Nikolai Mladenov, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Qatari diplomat Ali al-Thawadi. Israel has vociferously objected to the Turkish and Qatari names and is lobbying to reject this Board.

This Board will oversee a National Committee for the Administration of Gaza comprising Palestinian technocrats as administrators. What is notably absent from these arrangements is any reference to Palestinian rights, interests, rehabilitation, land, livelihood or statehood. The focus appears directed toward reconstruction contracts rather than justice or self-determination.

Meanwhile, the Israeli genocide continues in Gaza, sometimes under cover of other international events like Greenland’s fate or Ukraine’s dark bitter winter. On January 21, 2026, Israel seized and destroyed the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine, a blatant violation of international law that leaves Gaza with minimum support for its besieged population. Gaza health authorities report 70,000 people have been killed in this strip, with survivors being traumatized and besieged. So, the reconstruction question becomes: who benefits from rebuilding what some consider prime Mediterranean real estate?

Global reactions to the BoP

Countries such as Pakistan, Israel, UAE, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar, Argentina, Hungary and Belarus have announced their intent to join the BoP. These are countries hoping to secure lucrative reconstruction contracts while accessing Trump’s inner circle. Russia is considering using frozen European-held assets to pay the $1 billion permanence fee. France’s refusal to join has been met with immediate threats of 200% tariffs on French wine and champagne, which demonstrates the coercive element behind an allegedly voluntary entry.

Others are still mulling over the invitation. For countries like India to join and become party to a neo-colonial venture that resembles a theatre of the absurd would not be prudent. China, on the other hand, has emerged as the primary defender of multilateral institutions against Trump’s unilateral reconstruction of the world order.

The larger pattern

The BoP initiative follows Trump’s 20-point plan from October 2025, which envisioned Gaza as a real investment bonanza: a new Riviera on the Mediterranean for rich Arabs and others. This reveals the BoP’s true purpose is not genuine peace-building but creating mechanisms for US hegemonic control through privatized international relations that dismantle established institutions.

The fundamental question for the international community is how many countries will fall in line with Trump’s vision and who will resist. The ones that stand by the UN will be the historic winners in this game of cloak and dagger, while those who purchase seats at Trump’s table will contribute to the erosion of international law and be complicit in the commodification of human suffering.

References

Charter of the Board of Peace, Full Text, The Times of Israel, 18 January, 2026, at: https://www.timesofisrael.com/full-text-charter-of-trumps-board-of-peace/#:~:text=The%20following%20is%20the%20full,by%20US%20President%20Donald%20Trump.

United nations Security Council Resolution 2803 (2025) UN, New York, 17 November 29025 at: https://press.un.org/en/2025/sc16225.doc.htm#:~:text=Security%20Council%20Authorizes%20International%20Stabilization,Gaza%2C%20Adopting%20Resolution%202803%20(2025)&text=Adoption%20Marks%20’New%20Course’%20for,Middle%20East

Demand the Immediate Release of Grzegorz Gawel

This petition calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Grzegorz Gawel, a Polish citizen unlawfully detained in Belarus. His imprisonment represents a clear violation of international human rights standards, including freedom of conscience, due process, and protection from arbitrary detention.

Grzegorz Gawel, a Polish Catholic monk and humanitarian, has been unlawfully detained in Belarus and recognized by human rights defenders as a political prisoner. He is being held incommunicado under fabricated espionage charges. We demand his immediate release and full respect for international human rights law.

Petition demands

Immediately and unconditionally release Grzegorz Gawel and drop all charges against him.
Guarantee immediate access to an independent lawyer and to representatives of the Polish consular services.
Disclose his place of detention and ensure independent medical supervision.
Cease the practice of forced confessions and propaganda broadcasts involving detainees.
End the misuse of “espionage” charges against religious figures, humanitarian workers and foreign nationals.
Respect international human rights obligations, including the ICCPR and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.

Why is this important?

We call for the immediate and unconditional release of Grzegorz Gawel, a Polish citizen, Catholic monk of the Carmelite Order, and a recognized political prisoner unlawfully detained in the Republic of Belarus.

Grzegorz Gawel was detained on 4 September 2025 by officers of the Belarusian State Security Committee (KGB) and charged under Article 358 of the Criminal Code of Belarus (“Espionage”). These accusations are manifestly unfounded and politically motivated, and have been officially rejected by the Government of the Republic of Poland.

Belarusian human rights organizations, including Our House and the Viasna Human Rights Center, have recognized Grzegorz Gawel as a political prisoner.

Since his detention, he has been held incommunicado. His place of detention has not been officially disclosed. There is no confirmed access to an independent lawyer or to Polish consular representatives. No court hearings have been scheduled. State media have broadcast so-called “confession” videos characteristic of coercion and psychological pressure.

As a religious figure engaged in humanitarian and missionary work, Grzegorz Gawel is being persecuted for reasons related to his identity, beliefs, and the broader repressive policies of the Belarusian authorities toward foreign nationals, religious actors, and civil society.

Recipients

This petition is formally addressed to:

United Nations Human Rights Committee
Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR)

Copies of this petition are sent to:

UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus
UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief
European Union institutions responsible for human rights policy
Council of Europe bodies and monitoring mechanisms
Government of the Republic of Poland
Governments of democratic states

References

Full Article Here

Nuclear weapons in Europe do not make us safer – they make the world more dangerous

Oscar Ernerot of the Olof Palme International Center responds to Daniel Färm’s editorial in AiP arguing that Europe may need its own nuclear umbrella as America’s can no longer be trusted.

Nuclear weapons are increasingly discussed not as an existential threat to humanity, but as security-providing. Even within our own movement. This is an ominous development. More actors today have access to nuclear weapons, and the treaties that previously limited their proliferation have been weakened or are about to expire. Disarmament has stalled amidst dramatically increasing geopolitical tensions, where rhetoric surrounding the use of nuclear weapons is progressively worsening.

Yurii Sheliazhenko*, Conscientious Objector to Military Service and Human Rights Defender, under Immediate Threat

JOINT PRESS RELEASE | 23 January 2026

The undersigned organizations express serious concern regarding the continued persecution of Ukrainian human rights defender Yurii Sheliazhenko, a conscientious objector to military service. He is currently under an alarming threat of being arrested and forcibly conscripted under Ukraine’s system of universal military registration, which is enforced through coercive measures including arbitrary detentions and forced transfers to conscription offices. Such practices effectively compel conscientious objectors to act against their beliefs and directly violate Article 18(2) of the ICCPR, which prohibits coercion impairing freedom of thought, conscience and religion.

In answer to his appeals against the summon recently received at Christmas time, Yurii Sheliazhenko was sent a communication from a number of authorities, all stating in writing that there is not recognition of conscientious objection to military service in Ukraine in times of war. The Secretariat of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets replied to a related complaint, “mobilization by the State of Ukraine is the only necessary and urgent measure to prevent aggression by another state, during which the possibility of alternative service is excluded (since mobilization itself is aimed not simply at performing military service, but at protecting the Motherland from military invasion by another state). At the same time, the current legislation provides for the liability of persons guilty of violating the legislation on military duty and military service.”

Inputs for OHCHR: Conscientious objection to military service in Belarus

Belarus systematically suppresses conscientious objection, expanding criminal penalties, militarization, and coercive recruitment while undermining international human rights standards.

January 15, 2026

1. Brief summary

Belarus maintains compulsory military service for male citizens of conscription age (18-27 years), with conscription generally taking place twice a year. IIn 2025, this is confirmed by official documents on spring and autumn conscription.¹ ²

After completing their fixed-term military service, citizens are subject to enlistment in the reserve and continue to perform military duties until they reach the maximum age for remaining in the reserve, as established by the Law of the Republic of Belarus “On Military Duty and Military Service.” Depending on the reserve category and military category, this age is in some cases up to 60 years, and for certain categories of conscripts, up to 65 years.³ ⁴

In wartime or when mobilization is declared, the law allows for the expansion of the age range for conscripts.⁵

IPB Statement on Iran Protests

The International Peace Bureau (IPB) expresses our deep concern for the situation in Iran, even as the most recent protests are reported to be winding down. The repeated cycle of protests have become more regular and have been met by disproportionate and unacceptable levels of violence against legitimate demands. The thousands of Iranians killed, injured, and arrested during the past month should shock and concern everyone, even while the complete information blackout makes it difficult to determine totals. The IPB unequivocally condemns the violence of the Iranian state against protesters.

Quantum Scientists Publish Manifesto Against the Militarization of Research

Quantum technologies are often presented in public discourse as one of the most promising scientific frontiers of the twenty-first century. The so-called “second quantum revolution” encompasses developments such as quantum computing, quantum cryptography, and quantum sensing—technologies that are now transitioning from fundamental research to early industrial applications. While large-scale commercial deployment is still limited, concrete uses are already emerging, particularly in sensing and secure communications.

Monaeka Flores – Board Member

Monaeka Flores has been elected as a board member in 2025.

Monaeka is the Executive Director and a founding member of Prutehi
Guåhan (formerly Prutehi Litekyan: Save Ritidian) and a
founding member and core organizer of the collective Mariånas for Palestine.

Prutehi Guåhan is a community-based direct-action group in Guam, an “unincorporated territory” and military colony of the United States. The group is dedicated to the struggle against U.S. Imperialism and the Military Industrial Complex that is plundering and plaguing our planet.

Prutehi Guåhan works through direct action strategies, legal strategies and lawsuits, advocacy and information campaigns, community building, and international solidarity. Prutehi Guåhan want to determine a future that aligns with their indigenous values of respect, care, and sustainability.