South African jurist Navanethem “Navi” Pillay has won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to promote peace and international law, particularly in ensuring that war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide are prosecuted.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced the award on Friday, October 9, 2026, saying Pillay had demonstrated exceptional courage and integrity in advancing a more comprehensive global legal order.
According to the committee, “Navi Pillay’s commitment to universal legal principles and her firm moral compass are constants in a long career.”
Born into a family of Indian Tamil origin under apartheid in Durban, South Africa, Pillay became a lawyer and legal pioneer who confronted structural discrimination, segregation and exclusion.
The committee said her career had been marked by her early work defending Nelson Mandela and others who opposed apartheid, as well as her subsequent service as a judge in significant international
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