The Norwegian Nobel Committee is striving to regain public trust following questions about conflicts of interest and links to Jeffrey Epstein’s network.
Questions Over Conflicts of Interest
Questions regarding conflicts of interest and connections of Committee members have recently undermined trust in the institution responsible for awarding the world’s most prestigious peace prize for over 125 years, according to Committee head Joergen Watne Frydnes.
Announcing the disclosure of information regarding Committee members’ connections, travels, and received gifts, Frydnes added, “We should have done this earlier.”
Transparency Measures Announced
Information to be made transparent includes material benefits received by Committee members from entities other than their employers. This data will be published on the Nobel Institute’s website.
The Committee will also implement stricter requirements for documenting the activities of its members. Previously, the institution refused to disclose information about gifts and other benefits, even at the request of the Norwegian parliament, which demanded greater transparency.
“Serious Corruption” Investigation
A former Committee chairman, Thorbjoern Jagland, also a former Norwegian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, is at the center of the controversy. Norwegian police have launched an investigation into “serious corruption,” including loans and other financial benefits received from an American.
Jagland faces up to 10 years in prison. The Committee stated it will await the results of the police investigation and a parliamentary commission examining links between Norwegian elites and Epstein.
Epstein’s Connections to Norwegian Figures
Documents from the Epstein investigation also revealed contacts between the American and other Norwegian politicians, including Terje Roed-Larsen, a long-time diplomat and co-author of the Oslo peace agreements, and Boerge Brende, a former Foreign Minister and recent head of the World Economic Forum in Davos.
The wife of the Norwegian heir to the throne, Princess Mette-Marit, also maintained contact with the convicted sex offender.