The Norwegian Nobel Committee has awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize to Navanethem 'Navi' Pillay of South Africa for her efforts to promote peace and international law. The committee announced the prize on 9 October, calling her one of the most respected international jurists of our time.
Pillay was born into a family of Indian Tamil origin in Durban under apartheid. She became a lawyer in a system built on discrimination, segregation and exclusion, and her early work included defending Nelson Mandela and others who stood up against apartheid.
She went on to serve as a judge on the High Court in South Africa, at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and at the International Criminal Court. She was the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and, until recently, chaired the UN's independent commission of inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory. She now sits as a judge at the International Court of Justice in the case in which Myanmar is accused of genocide.
The committee pointed to two legal milestones from her years at the Rwanda tribunal. Her influence was significant when the tribunal established that rape and sexual violence could constitute a crime against humanity and genocide. In the same case, for the first time, a defendant faced charges of incitement to genocide purely for spreading propaganda.
The committee noted that the first Nobel Peace Prize was awarded 125 years ago, and that settling conflicts through international law has been a theme ever since. It warned that the system is now under heavy pressure, with its institutions attacked and its judges sanctioned, and said this year's prize is a reminder that the rule of law, national and international, underpins peace.
For students drawn to law and international relations, the Commonwealth Master's Scholarships close on 20 October 2026, and our guide comparing government scholarships covers the major awards. Uppsala University is also recruiting two salaried PhDs in peace and conflict research, on democracy and political violence, closing on 9 November 2026.
