The 2026 Nobel Peace Prize went to South African jurist Navanethem “Navi” Pillay for her work advancing international law and peace. The Norwegian Nobel Committee chair, Jørgen Watne Frydnes, announced the award, stating that it will go to a “person who with exceptional courage and integrity has led the way toward a more comprehensive global legal order.”The prosecution of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide has been made possible thanks in large part to this year’s laureate,” he continued.
She had previously assisted in establishing rights for convicts on Robben Island as a defence lawyer for anti-apartheid campaigners. In addition, she was a judge on the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and an acting judge on the South African High Court. In 2003, she was also assigned to the International Criminal Court, where she served in the Appeals Chamber until 2008.
Pillay charged Israel of genocide in Gaza in 2025 while she was chair of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel.
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