South African judge and human rights advocate Navanethem “Navi” Pillay, 85, has won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to promote peace and international law, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced on Friday.
The committee praised Pillay for holding governments and national leaders accountable, supporting victims of violence and conflict, and demonstrating a strong commitment to justice throughout her career.
Her work includes defending Nelson Mandela and other anti apartheid activists, as well as serving as a judge in major international legal cases.
Pillay also chaired a United Nations Commission of Inquiry into the occupied Palestinian territory, which concluded last year that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza. Israel rejected the report as “scandalous”.
The award is the fifth Nobel Prize announced this week, following the prizes for literature, chemistry, physics and medicine.
Pillay will receive 12 million Swedish kronor, approximately $1.2 million, at a ceremony in Oslo on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death.
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