KABUL (Pajhwok): The Norwegian Nobel Committee has awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize to South African jurist and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem “Navi” Pillay in recognition of her efforts to promote peace and international law.
Announcing the award on Friday, the committee said Pillay had played a significant role in advancing international justice and ensuring that war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide are prosecuted.
“The system of international law is under tremendous pressure, and its institutions are under attack,” the committee said, warning of a growing shift towards power politics at the expense of legal frameworks and respect for international law.
Pillay, 85, was born in Durban, South Africa, to a family of Indian Tamil origin. She built a distinguished legal career during and after apartheid, defending Nelson Mandela and other anti-apartheid activists.
In 1967, she became the first woman to establish a law practice in South Africa’s then Natal Province.
She was later appointed to South Africa’s High Court, becoming the first woman of colour to serve on the court, according to the Nobel Committee.
Pillay subsequently served as a judge and president of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda from 1999 to 2003.
During her tenure, she contributed to landmark legal developments recognising that rape and sexual violence can constitute crimes against humanity and genocide.
She later served as a judge at the International Criminal Court from 2003 to 2008 and as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2008 to 2014.
Since 2019, Pillay has also served as an ad hoc judge at the International Court of Justice in the case concerning allegations of genocide against Myanmar.
From 2021 to 2025, Pillay chaired the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel.
The commission concluded in a report released in 2025 that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza. Israel rejected the findings. The commission’s conclusion should be understood as the finding of a UN commission of inquiry, rather than a final judicial ruling by an international court.
The Nobel Committee said Pillay’s career demonstrated the importance of holding states and individuals accountable under international law.
It added that an effective international legal system, in which perpetrators of serious crimes are held accountable and victims receive justice, is essential to lasting peace.
The 2026 Nobel Peace Prize is worth 12 million Swedish kronor, approximately $1.2 million. The award ceremony is scheduled for December 10 in Oslo, Norway, on the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death.
The announcement comes amid repeated criticism of international judicial institutions by US President Donald Trump and other political leaders.
The United States announced sanctions against the International Criminal Court on Friday, the same day the Nobel Committee announced Pillay as the laureate.
The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado for her efforts to promote democratic rights in Venezuela and pursue a peaceful transition from authoritarian rule.
Machado presented her Nobel medal to Trump during a meeting in January 2026.
However, the Nobel Committee has clarified that the status of a Nobel laureate cannot be transferred to another person, and the award cannot be shared after it has been conferred.
