A South African of Indian Tamil origin, Pillay was the first non-white woman judge of the High Court of South Africa. The 85-year-old is also a jurist who served as the United Nations (UN) human rights chief from 2008 to 2014 and was also a judge of the International Court of Justice and president of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.
Navanethem “Navi” Pillay has been announced as the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize 2026.
The Nobel Peace Prize, often considered the most prestigious award on the planet, will be announced Friday in Oslo, Norway.
Daughter of a bus driver, Pillay grew up and began her human rights work during the apartheid era and became the first non-white woman to establish her own law practice and to be appointed as a High Court Judge in South Africa. Machado gave Trump her Nobel medal shortly after the United States ousted then-President Nicolas Maduro. She became the first woman to start a law practice in South Africa’s Natal Province back in 1967.
Pillay was recognised for her efforts to promote peace and international law, said Jorgen Watne Frydnes, Chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee. He said that Pillay has “significantly enlarged the scope and impact of international law” and has led the way to “a more comprehensive global legal order. Pillay’s work “is a source of hope and inspiration to all those who seek to bring about a more peaceful world,” he said In a release announcing Pillay’s victory, Nobel commitee said, “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. But it was largely a symbolic gesture: the Nobel Committee has said the honour itself cannot be transferred.
