"your applause means a great deal to me."
South African jurist Navanethem “Navi” Pillay has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to promote peace and international law.
The 85-year-old is a former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and currently serves as an ad hoc judge at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Jorgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, said her work “is a source of hope and inspiration to all those who seek to bring about a more peaceful world”.
The committee said Pillay had delivered hope to victims of violence and conflict while maintaining a strong moral compass throughout her career.
It said: “A common thread runs from her early work defending Nelson Mandela and others who stood up against apartheid to her service as a judge in some of the key international court cases of our time.”
Born in Durban, South Africa, to a family of Indian Tamil origin, Navi Pillay built a career challenging discrimination and advancing human rights. She has served as a judge at the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.
Pillay also chaired the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which concluded last year that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza.
Israel’s foreign ministry condemned the Nobel decision, describing it as a “grotesque weaponisation of an award to legitimise anti-Israel hatred and prejudice”.
The award comes amid wider tensions over international justice, including US sanctions against ICC personnel.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticised the court, sanctioning 13 of its staff members, including key prosecutors and nine judges.
The Nobel Committee said the award was intended to underline the importance of international law as conflicts and pressure on judicial institutions increase.
Pillay received news of her award at the Nuremberg Forum in Germany, a gathering focused on international law.
The city hosted the trials of Nazi war criminals, which helped lay the foundations of modern international criminal justice.
Addressing the audience after the announcement, she said: “Firstly, at this venue, your applause means a great deal to me.
“You know, you don’t want to receive an award, prize or anything unless the public agrees that you deserve this.”
Pillay then joked about verifying the news, saying: “But being a lawyer and a judge, I still want to verify this information.”
Making a light-hearted reference to Trump, she added:
“If you clap a little bit more, I may share this prize with Trump.”
The ICC’s president, Tomoko Akane, welcomed the decision, saying:
“At a time of profound challenges to the international legal order and the rule of law, this recognition carries particular significance.”
The UN human rights office also praised Pillay’s longstanding advocacy and said the award could encourage others to defend human rights worldwide.
Spokesperson Shabia Mantoo said: “We hope it will encourage and continue to encourage and inspire others to speak out in protection and promotion of the human rights of all people around the world.”
The 2026 Nobel Peace Prize is worth approximately £910,000, and will be presented in Oslo on December 10. This year marks the 125th anniversary of the prize.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee received nominations for 287 candidates, just over a quarter of whom were organisations.
Potential contenders included the International Space Station, emergency teams in Sudan, children’s advocates in Ukraine, the two leading international courts and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Venezuelan opposition leader and pro-democracy campaigner Maria Corina Machado won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her work promoting democratic rights and a peaceful transition from dictatorship.
