South African jurist Navanethem “Navi” Pillay, 85, has won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for her decades-long work promoting human rights and ensuring the prosecution of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced the award in Oslo on Friday, October 9, 2026, citing Pillay’s role in international justice, including her leadership of the tribunal that prosecuted those responsible for the 1994 Rwanda genocide and her work with a United Nations commission that reported genocide in Gaza.
The committee’s chair, Jorgen Watne Frydnes, said Pillay had been instrumental in ensuring that perpetrators of serious international crimes faced prosecution.
“In historic international court cases, she has shown that legal measures can help prevent acts of war and violence,” the committee said.
It described the 85-year-old jurist’s independence, expertise and steadfastness as qualities that had made her one of the world’s most respected international legal figures.
Pillay previously headed the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel.
The commission concluded in a report last year that genocide was occurring in Gaza. Israel rejected the findings, describing them as “distorted and false”.
The Nobel Committee, however, clarified that the award was not a judicial determination on whether Israel’s actions in Gaza constituted genocide.
“We are not the court,” Frydnes told AFP, adding that the question would be decided by the International Court of Justice.
Pillay is also a judge at the International Court of Justice, where Myanmar faces a case involving allegations of genocide against the Rohingya people.
Reacting to the award, Pillay made a light-hearted reference to US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly expressed his desire to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
“If you clap a little bit more I may share this prize with Trump,” she said after receiving a standing ovation.
The Nobel Committee’s announcement comes amid growing concerns over attacks on international legal institutions and efforts to hold perpetrators of atrocities accountable.
Frydnes said the award sent a message to those putting pressure on international justice institutions and sanctioning judges.
“That needs to stop,” he said.
The United Nations welcomed the award, describing it as a testament to the importance of human rights.
The International Criminal Court also praised the decision, saying it carried particular significance at a time when international law was facing mounting challenges.
The Nobel Committee said international law had become essential to peace and security amid increasing wars and conflicts around the world.
The 2026 award comes with a gold medal, a diploma and prize money of $1.2m.
Pillay will formally receive the award at a ceremony in Oslo on December 10, the anniversary of the death of Alfred Nobel, the Swedish inventor who established the prizes.
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