Nobel Peace Prize Live: Nobel committee tweets OPCW 'Please contact us'

WATCH THE ANNOUNCEMENT LIVE:

3.45 pm: Nobel Prize organisation tweets OPCW: ‘Please contact us’ How social media is shaping every big event in the world now: the Nobel Prize Organisation’s official Twitter account send a a tweet to the OPCW requesting they get in contact. https://twitter.com/Nobelprize_org/status/388601094525300736 And up till ten minutes ago, it seemed that the OPCW was still unreachable to the Nobel Prize committee. https://twitter.com/Nobelprize_org/status/388604692340568064 3.00 pm: Not for Syria: Here’s why the OPCW won, according to the committee For one, the OPCW, which is based in The Hague, Netherlands, has been functional since 1997, implementing the Chemical Weapons Convention, the first international treaty “to outlaw an entire class of weapons” according to PTI.  The OPCW works with 189 member states. Syria is set to be officially inducted as a member country a few days from now, though the country has already agreed to allow OPCW inspectors to undertake the United Nations-backed disarmament mission to destroy Syria’s arsenal of poison gas and nerve agents. Two, Alfred Nobel’s will detailed his commitment to the process of disarmament. Three, according to the committee, the continuing process of destroying chemical weapon stockpiles that the OPCW has been undertaking is critical to prevent future attacks. The panel said, “During World War One, chemical weapons were used to a considerable degree. The Geneva Convention of 1925 prohibited the use, but not the production or storage, of chemical weapons. During World War 2, chemical means were employed in Hitler’s mass exterminations. Chemical weapons have subsequently been put to use on numerous occasions by both states and terrorists.” Four, the award sends out a message to countries that are yet to fall in line. During the official announcement, the committee said there is a need to enhance the efforts to do away with such weapons. “Some states are still not members of the OPCW,” the committee said, also rapping some member states for not observing the deadlines set by the organisation for destroying their own stockpiles, including the USA and Russia. 2.55 pm: Disappointment for Malala, criticism for ‘US-driven’ choice Social media platforms abuzz with expressions of disappointment that a brave young 16-year-old did not win.  There’s also criticism that the OPCW was selected in a year that saw the horrific impact of the use of chemical weapons, as well as that the OPCW is essentially a body that’s driven by the US. The official citation does not, however, say that the OPCW won for its contribution in Syria. Instead, it details the work of the OPCW since its inception in 1997. 2.45 pm: Alfred Nobel believed in disarmament According to an official release, disarmament figured prominently in Alfred Nobel’s will. “The Norwegian Nobel Committee has through numerous prizes underlined the need to do away with nuclear weapons. By means of the present award to the OPCW, the Committee is seeking to contribute to the elimination of chemical weapons,” the release said. You can read the official announcement here . 2.30 pm: It’s announced. Not Malala, the OPCW wins Nobel Peace Prize The committee said the UNSC had authorised the OPCW to oversee the destruction of chemical weapons in at least 20 sites in Syria, a challenging task. 2.20 pm: So, just who are the OPCW? You know they’re working in Syria right now, overseeing the systematic disarmament of chemical weapons. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has actually been active on disarmament since 1997 when it was formed to implement the Chemical Weapons Convention, an international treaty against production, storage and use of chemical weapons. The treaty’s signatories include the US and Russia, which held the largest stockpiles in the 1990s. This year, the OPCW’s biggest challenge has been the labour-intensive and risky job of dismantling chemical weapons in Syria, which agreed to join the convention following a deal pushed through by Russia. 1.45 pm: Anti-chemical warfare organisation the new frontrunner? Not exactly a dark horse, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons is the frontrunner, says Norwegian public broadcaster NRK. The OPCW is overseeing the destruction’s of Syria’s arsenal, according to this report by Reuters. Incidentally, NRK got it right last year. They had predicted that the EU would win. 1.35 pm: Not everybody is cheering for the 16-yr-old who wants to be Pak PM some day There’s tremendous support for the teenager who has displayed a rare courage and calmness in the face of the global attention on her. But not everybody’s cheering for Malala Yousafzai. While the Taliban said she has not “earned” the award, there are other naysayers too. Amid the dynamic opinions within Pakistan on how the Taliban must be viewed,  there are also conspiracy theorists and those who believe the  youngster would feel more loyal to the West than to Pakistan, if she were to be selected, reports a blog in the New York Times . Meanwhile, who else is in the running? There’s no official nominees’ list, but among the 259 nominations this year are reportedly Irom Sharmila, Chelsea Bradley Manning and Bill Clinton. Read all about the frontrunners here . 1.20 pm: “It would be more than I deserve” Taking a large audience at a New York venue by surprise on Thursday night, Malala said she would feel proud once she achieves her dream of building schools for children who otherwise may not be able to access education. “I would say I built that school, I built that school… Then if I won the NObel I would feel yes, I deserve it,” she said, adding later that if she were to get the honour now it would be a great responsibility, “more than I deserve”. Malala had begun her campaign for education with a blog in 2009, taking on the Taliban for preventing girls from attending school. She also said on Thursday night that she would like to become prime minister of Pakistan some day. 1.05 pm: Ninety minutes from now, the 2013 Nobel peace prize will be announced. Since its inception in 1901, 93 prizes have been awarded to 124 laureates. [caption id=“attachment_116632” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] It’s been a year since she was shot by the Taliban.[/caption] While the average age of the Nobel peace prize laureates is about 62 years, among the frontrunners this year is Malala Yousafzai, aged 16, just over a year since she was shot in the head by the Taliban. If she wins, she would be half the age of the youngest winner till now, Yemeni peace activist Tawakul Karman, who was 32 when she won jointly in 2011. She reportedly told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in a taped interview that she would feel extremely honoured if she is selected. The interview is to air Sunday at 7 pm. According to the CNN report, the prize would “give momentum to Malala’s lifetime task” on making education accessible to children everywhere. This year’s nominations comprise 259 candidates including 50 organisations. Though no list is released, among those getting the most attention apart from Yousafzai is Congolese doctor Denis Mukwege a surgeon who has treated thousands of rape victims women since 1999.