LONDON — The Nobel Peace Prize for 2026 was awarded Friday to Navanethem Pillay “for her efforts to promote peace and international law.”
Calling her a person “with exceptional courage and integrity” and somebody who “has led the way towards a more comprehensive global legal order,” the Nobel Institute said that Pillay “has been instrumental in ensuring that war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide are prosecuted.”
“Navi Pillay’s commitment to universal legal principles and her firm moral compass are constants in a long career,” the Nobel Institute said. “Born into a family of Indian Tamil origin under apartheid in Durban, South Africa, Pillay became a lawyer and legal pioneer, confronting deep structural discrimination, segregation and exclusion. A common thread runs from her early work defending Nelson Mandela and others who stood up against apartheid to her service as a judge in some of the key international court cases of our time.”
Pillay has served as a judge on the High Court in South Africa, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the International Criminal Court in her career. She was also the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and, until recently, she chaired the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Pillay is currently a judge on the International Court of Justice in the case where Myanmar stands accused of genocide.
“In historic international court cases, she has shown that legal measures can help prevent acts of war and violence,” the Nobel Institute said. “Navi Pillay has also contributed to strengthen the institutions of international law. Her independence, expertise and steadfastness have made her one of the most respected international jurists of our time.”
The announcement was made by the chair of The Norwegian Nobel Committee, Jørgen Watne Frydnes, at the Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo, Norway.
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