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Former UN human rights chief Navi Pillay wins 2026 Nobel Peace Prize

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Navanethem “Navi” Pillay, a South African jurist who served as United Nations high commissioner for human rights, has won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced the award Oct. 9 in Oslo, citing her work to ensure that war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide are prosecuted.

The committee said Pillay, 85, had significantly expanded the scope and impact of international law. “At a time when the number of wars and conflicts is rising,” it said, the ability to resolve conflicts without force depends on the international rule of law. Committee chair Jørgen Watne Frydnes said her work “is a source of hope and inspiration to all those who seek to bring about a more peaceful world.”

Pillay began practicing law in 1967 as the first woman to do so in what was then the province of Natal, and she defended Nelson Mandela and other anti-apartheid activists. She later became the first woman of color to serve on South Africa’s High Court.

As a judge on the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, she helped establish that rape and sexual violence can constitute genocide and crimes against humanity, a landmark the committee singled out. She went on to serve as a judge of the International Criminal Court and as UN high commissioner for human rights.

Most recently Pillay chaired the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which concluded last year that Israel was responsible for genocide in Gaza. Israel rejected the commission’s findings.

Pillay learned of the award at a forum in Nuremberg, Germany, and dedicated it “to all of the survivors of international crimes.” She said international law and human rights are under significant political attack, particularly through attacks on the International Criminal Court. She also joked that she wanted to verify the news, “being a lawyer and a judge.”

Reaction split sharply. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called the prize a “profound tribute” to her courage and integrity, and UN human rights chief Volker Türk called it “a collective win for human rights.” Israel’s foreign ministry said the award “legitimised anti-Israel hatred and prejudice.” President Donald Trump shared a social media post saying the committee had demeaned the prize, Al Jazeera reported.

The committee received 287 nominations this year. The prize, worth 12 million Swedish kronor, will be presented in Oslo on Dec. 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death.

Earlier in the week, Nobel prizes were awarded in medicine, physics and chemistry, and the literature prize went to Canadian poet Anne Carson. The economics prize, the last of this year’s awards, is scheduled to be announced Oct. 12.

Sources

Al Jazeera: 2026 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Navi Pillay · ABC News (Australia): 2026 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Judge Navi Pillay · CNN: Navi Pillay wins 2026 award · NobelPrize.org

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