Former UN human rights chief Navanethem ‘Navi’ Pillay wins the Nobel Peace Prize

Kostya Manenkov, Mark Lewis and Stefanie DazioOctober 9, 2026 — 8:16pmOslo: Former UN human rights chief Navanethem “Navi” Pillay, a judge on the International Court of Justice, won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday in Oslo, Norway.The South Africa-born Pillay, 85, was recognised for her efforts to promote peace and international law, said Jørgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel committee.Navanethem “Navi” Pillay was recognised for her efforts to promote peace and international law.Martial Trezzini/Keystone via AP“At a time when the number of wars and conflicts is rising, and when judges and institutions of international law are under political attack, the Nobel committee wishes to issue a reminder that the ability to resolve conflicts without force or violence is dependent on the international rule of law,” the committee wrote in a news release.“An international legal system in which war criminals are held to account and the victims of abuse see justice served is a precondition for a peaceful world.”Efforts to reach Pillay by phone were not immediately successful.The award is often considered the most prestigious honour on the planet.The committee received nominations for 287 candidates for this year’s prize, and just over a quarter of them are organisations. Experts say the committee typically focuses on the durability of peace, the promotion of international fraternity and the quiet work of institutions that strengthen those goals.The United Nations human rights office welcomed Pillay’s win, acknowledging her longstanding advocacy for human rights.“It is amazing news; we need more dedication and commitment to human rights,” Shabia Mantoo, spokesperson for the UN human rights office, told reporters in Geneva.Last year, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado won the Nobel Peace Prize for her struggle to achieve a democratic transition in the South American nation, winning recognition as a woman “who keeps the flame of democracy burning amid a growing darkness”.This year marks the 125th anniversary of the peace prize, which so far has gone to 112 individuals and 28 separate institutions since its inception in 1901.More to comeAP, ReutersFrom our partners