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Published On 9 Oct 2026
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize to Navanethem “Navi” Pillay.
The committee’s announcement of the 125th Nobel Peace Prize, made on Friday in Oslo, said that the prestigious award would go to the South African jurist for her work to promote peace and international law.
The committee said in a statement that Pillay had been instrumental in ensuring that war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide are prosecuted.
“At a time of existential challenges – including more wars and conflicts than the world has seen in a long time – international law is no longer just a supplement to peace and security. It is an absolute necessity,” the statement read.
Committee chair Jorgen Watne Frydnes said that the system of international law was “under tremendous pressure” and its institutions were “under attack”. It is judges, he continued, “who guard the thin red line between order and chaos”.
A South African of Indian Tamil origin, the 85-year-old Pillay acted as a defence attorney for Nelson Mandela, who previously won the peace prize, and other anti-apartheid activists.
She has also served on the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the International Criminal Court, and as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. She currently sits on the International Court of Justice in the case in which Myanmar stands accused of genocide.
The committee received nominations for 287 candidates for this year’s prize. Other mooted contenders had included the International Space Station, emergency teams in Sudan, children’s advocates in Ukraine and two top international courts.
United States President Donald Trump has long coveted the prize and repeatedly said he deserves it, despite his ongoing war in Iran.
More to come…
