Consider the following UN organisations/ agencies:
- 1.World Food Programme
- 2.United Nations Children’s Fund
- 3.United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
- 4.International Labour Organisation
How many of the above has/have been awarded the Nobel Prize twice?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (a) 1
Only the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, has won the Nobel Peace Prize twice, in 1954 and 1981. The other three UN bodies each won it once: the ILO in 1969, UNICEF in 1965 and the World Food Programme in 2020.
- ✗ 1. The World Food Programme received the Nobel Peace Prize once, in 2020, for its work against hunger and for peace in conflict-affected areas.
- ✗ 2. UNICEF won the Peace Prize once, in 1965.
- ✓ 3. UNHCR was honoured in 1954 and again in 1981. Apart from the Red Cross (three times), no other organisation has won the Peace Prize more than once.
- ✗ 4. The International Labour Organization won the Peace Prize once, in 1969, for creating international legislation on working conditions.
Remember · UNHCR: Nobel Peace Prize twice (1954, 1981). ILO 1969, UNICEF 1965, WFP 2020 each won once. The International Committee of the Red Cross has won three times.
Sources
- NobelPrize.org, Nobel Prize awarded organisations ↗ “UNHCR, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, has received the Nobel Peace Prize twice, in 1954 and 1981, and the work of Comité international de la Croix Rouge (International Committee of the Red Cross) (ICRC) has been honoured three times”
Question and answer: UPSC's provisional GS Paper I (2026, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·