[3] A global civil society coalition of 468 peace, human rights, environment, development and faith groups as of 2017,[4] ICAN was recognized for its decade-long consensus-building support for the Humanitarian Pledge and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

[6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] In a telephone interview immediately after the announcement, ICAN Executive Director Beatrice Fihn said that, the Cold War being long over, possession and use of weapons of mass destruction "is no longer acceptable" in the 21st century.

[17][18] Holding a press conference at UN Headquarters, in New York, the ICAN executive director said that disarmament campaign efforts of a "new generation" of "people who grew up after the Cold War and don't understand why we still have the [nuclear] weapons," were in effect also being recognized by the award.

[20] Though the Nobel Committee does not release names being considered for 50 years, reportedly they included: Tong Jen and Onodera Toshitaki seeking justice for Chinese victims of wartime atrocities during World War II; organizers Iran Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini of the 2015 Iran Deal negotiations; UNHCR and High Commissioner Filippo Grandi for their work on the rights and dignity of refugees; Turkish journalists Cumhuriyet and Can Dündar; The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for their work securing Gambia's political transition; and the humanitarian White Helmets, also known as the Syrian Civil Defense, and Raed al Saleh.

"[48] Supporters from faith communities issued congratulatory statements, including: the Dalai Lama, Daisaku Ikeda, Father Shay Cullen, the Holy See, Pax Christi International, and the World Council of Churches.

[55] In a press release Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg praised ICAN for promoting their common goal of a world free of nuclear weapons but reiterated that Norway will not sign the ban treaty, echoing NATO's stance.

"[62][63] A day ahead of the December 10th award ceremony at Oslo City Hall, ICAN installed outside the Norwegian Parliament building 1,000 red and blue paper cranes made by children in Hiroshima.