Oslo: Indian-origin jurist from South Africa Navanethem “Navi” Pillay has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2026.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee made the announcement for the 125th Nobel Peace Prize on Friday in Oslo. The prestigious award would go to the South African jurist for her work to promote peace and international law.
Pillay had been instrumental in ensuring that war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide are prosecuted, the committee said in a statement.
“At a time of existential challenges – including more wars and conflicts than the world has seen in a long time – international law is no longer just a supplement to peace and security. It is an absolute necessity,” the statement said.
The system of international law was “under tremendous pressure” and its institutions were “under attack”, committee chair Jorgen Watne Frydnes said.
“It are judges who guard the thin red line between order and chaos,” he added.
Pillay (85), a South African of Indian Tamil origin, acted as a defence lawyer for Nelson Mandela, who previously won the peace prize, and other anti-apartheid activists.
She has also served on the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the International Criminal Court, and as United Nations high commissioner for human rights. Pillay currently sits on the International Court of Justice in the case in which Myanmar stands accused of genocide, as reported by Al Jazeera.
The committee received nominations for 287 candidates for this year’s prize. Other contenders included the International Space Station, emergency teams in Sudan, children’s advocates in Ukraine and two top international courts.