The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, a little-known group that is responsible for eradicating all of Syria's chemical weapons was awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, according to the New York Times.
Founded in 1997 The OPCW was created to enforce the Chemical Weapons Convention. For the most part their actions remain behind the scenes; this year because of the high tension and media exposure given to the situation in Syria the group was thrust into the spotlight, according to Fox News.
"The conventions and the work of the OCPW have defined the use of chemical weapons as a taboo under international law," the Nobel Committee said in a statement. "Recent events in Syria, where chemical weapons have again been put to use, have underlined the need to enhance the efforts to do away with such weapons."
Some in Syria are not happy with the choice since the bulk of the fatalities in the civil war that has ripped the country apart came from conventional weapons, the New York Times reports.
"We were aware that our work silently but surely was contributing to peace in the world," Ahemt Uzumcu, the director general of the OPCW, said. "The last few weeks have brought this to the fore. The entire international community has been made aware of our work."
The selection was seen as a bit of a surprise. Many assumed that either Pakistani teenager Malala Yousafzai or Congolese doctor Denis Mukwege would win the prize, according to CNN.
The 16-year-old Yousafzai had come to international attention after being shot by members of the Taliban after advocating for a girl's right to an education. Many thought that she would die after she was shot in the head one year ago. When speaking about the possibility of winning the prize with CNN's Christiane Amanpour Yousafzai said that she thought she hadn't earned a Nobel Prize, yet.
"I would feel proud, when I would work for education, when I would have done something, when I would be feeling confident to tell people, 'Yes! I have built that school, I have done that teacher's training, I have sent that (many) children to school,'" Yousafzai said. "Then if I get the Nobel Peace Prize, I will be saying, 'Yeah, I deserve it, somehow.'"
Mukwege is a doctor in the Democratic Republic of the Congo who has dedicated his life to treating rape victims, an all too common occurrence in the war-torn nation. Over the last 20 years Mukwege has treated tens of thousands of women. Despite having the opportunity to leave his home country to make more money Mukwege has never considered doing so, according to CNN.
"Work is not only about money," Mukwege said. "Earning money is not the sum total of life. Life is not about living in abundance, it's about what you can give to somebody else."
