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Former UN human rights chief Navi Pillay wins 2026 Nobel Peace Prize
Overview
Navi Pillay, a former UN human rights chief and International Court of Justice judge, has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to promote peace and international law. The 85-year-old South African judge was recognised for her instrumental role in ensuring the prosecution of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide throughout a career that included defending anti-apartheid activists, presiding over the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, and chairing a UN commission investigating the Occupied Palestinian Territory. While leaders and organisations including South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa and Amnesty International praised the decision, Israel's Foreign Ministry strongly criticised the award, calling it a weaponisation to legitimise anti-Israel prejudice.
Key points
- Navi Pillay has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for promoting peace and international law.
- She is South Africa's fifth Peace Prize winner, following figures such as Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu.
- The Nobel committee praised her instrumental work in prosecuting war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.
- Pillay's career includes defending anti-apartheid activists, serving as president of the UN tribunal for the Rwandan genocide, and sitting as an ICJ judge.
- Israel's Foreign Ministry condemned the award as a grotesque weaponisation to legitimise anti-Israel hatred.