South African jurist Navi Pillay awarded 2026 Nobel Peace Prize

South African jurist Navanethem "Navi" Pillay has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to promote peace and international law. Euronews, the South China Morning Post, RTE, and the Irish Times all reported that the Norwegian Nobel Committee made the announcement on Friday in Oslo. [1][2][3][4]

Jørgen Watne Frydnes, the chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, said Pillay has led the way towards a more comprehensive global legal order with exceptional courage and integrity, Euronews reported. RTE added that Frydnes praised her role in ensuring that war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide are prosecuted. The Irish Times noted that the committee highlighted a common thread from her early career defending Nelson Mandela against apartheid to her service in major international courts. [1][3][4]

Pillay, who is 85 years old according to the South China Morning Post, previously served as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2008 to 2014, RTE and the Irish Times reported. She also served as a judge on the International Criminal Court and as president of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Pillay was the first non-white female judge of the High Court of South Africa. [2][3][4][13]

The 2026 award comes after 287 candidates were nominated for the prize, as FTMQ News reported earlier. The Nobel Peace Prize was established under the will of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel. [14][16]