The Peace Bureau organized peace conferences, and it collected and published peace literature. It was the heart of the European peace movement, and it co-ordinated the activities of the various national and non-governmental peace organizations. The Institute of International Law was nominated for its work to draft the first international arbitration regulations, and for its efforts to establish a codification of the laws of war.
The nominators suggested a divided prize between the two nominees.
The Institute of International Law was included on the short list, but no new evaluation was requested.