The 2026 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday was awarded to Navanethem "Navi" Pillay for for her efforts to promote peace and international law. Navi Pillay's commitment to universal legal principles and her firm moral compass are constants in a long career, the Nobel Prize said in a statement.
BREAKING NEWS The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the 2026 #NobelPeacePrize to Navanethem “Navi” Pillay for her efforts to promote peace and international law. #NobelPrize https://t.co/97vurspw6z
— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 9, 2026
Born into a family of Indian Tamil origin under apartheid in Durban, South Africa, Pillay became a lawyer and legal pioneer, confronting deep structural discrimination, segregation and exclusion. Pillay's has served as a judge on the High Court in South Africa, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the International Criminal Court. She was the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and, until recently, she chaired the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Today Navi Pillay is a judge on the International Court of Justice in the case where Myanmar stands accused of genocide, a statement from The Nobel Prize read.
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Newly awarded peace laureate Navi Pillay has held states and national leaders accountable and brought hope to victims of violence and conflict. Navi Pillay is one of the great defenders of international legal principles in our time. Her distinguished career reminds us of the need to support, fortify and expand the global rule of law. Navi Pillay's commitment to justice and human dignity is a source of hope and inspiration to all who seek to bring about a more peaceful world. Read more about the 2026 #NobelPeacePrize: https://t.co/JMjpp1jPKc #NobelPrize
— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 9, 2026
The Norwegian Nobel Committee in Oslo received 287 nominations for this year's peace prize, with organisations accounting for just over a quarter of the candidates. Experts say the committee typically prioritises lasting peace, international fraternity and the quiet work of institutions that advance those aims.
Only designated people and organisations can submit nominations. They include heads of state, national politicians, university professors, directors of foreign policy institutes, previous Nobel laureates and members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee.
This year's prize carries an award of 12 million Swedish kronor, or about $1.2 million, whether it goes to an individual, a small group of laureates or an organisation.
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Peace prize Marks 125th Anniversary
This year marks the peace prize's 125th anniversary. Since its inception in 1901, it has honoured 112 individuals and 28 distinct institutions. The Red Cross has won three times and the UN refugee agency twice. Women account for just 20 of the 112 individual laureates, although eight received the prize in the past 15 years.
Education activist Malala Yousafzai remains the youngest laureate, having won in 2014 at the age of 17. The United States leads the country tally, with 24 awards recognising American individuals or institutions, followed by the United Kingdom with 13 and Switzerland with 11. No laureate listed as American has won since US President Barack Obama in 2009.
The prize has been withheld 19 times, mostly during the world wars. No award was made in 1948, the year Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated. Gandhi received 12 nominations but never won.
In 1939, a Swedish member of parliament nominated Adolf Hitler but withdrew the nomination on Feb. 1, saying it had never been intended seriously.
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