Navi Pillay Awarded 2026 Nobel Peace Prize

Former United Nations (UN) human rights chief and International Court of Justice judge Navanethem “Navi” Pillay has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee commended the 85-year-old South African jurist for her lifelong commitment to international law and prosecuting genocide.

Pillay began her legal career as the first female attorney to open a practice in Natal, defending anti-apartheid activists and securing rights for political prisoners on Robben Island. She became the first non-white woman on South Africa’s High Court before serving on the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.

Recently, Pillay chaired a United Nations commission that concluded Israel committed genocidal acts in Gaza – a finding Israel rejected as “scandalous”. Following the prize announcement, the United States administration announced sanctions targeting the International Criminal Court.

When told of her win in Nuremberg, Pillay initially asked: “Is it true?”

Referring to last year’s winner, Maria Corina Machado, who gave her medal to Donald Trump in January, Pillay dedicated her award to “all the survivors of international crimes”, whilst light-heartedly joking: “If you clap a little bit more I may share this prize with Trump.”

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