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Pillay ‘instrumental in ensuring war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide are prosecuted,’ Nobel committee chair says
Presenting the winner, Jørgen Watne Frydnes says:
“The Nobel Peace Prize for 2026 goes to a person who, with exceptional courage and integrity, has led the way towards a more comprehensive global legal order. This year’s laureate has been instrumental in ensuring that war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide are prosecuted.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2026 to Navanethem “Navi“ Pillay 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. 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.
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.”
Key events
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Pillay’s Nobel ‘particularly significant’ given attacks on international law, ICC head says
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South African legal experts pay tribute to Pillay on her Nobel win
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‘To say it is well deserved is a total understatement,’ UN human rights chief says
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‘Richly earned and lavishly justified,’ retired South African constitutional court justice says
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‘Why would you need courage to speak the truth?,’ surprised Pillay says in impromptu speech to associates
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‘If you clap a little bit more I may share this prize with Trump,’ Pillay jokes
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‘Few have devoted their lives to justice, peace and human dignity’ like Pillay, von der Leyen says
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‘Amazing news,’ UN human rights office reacts to Pillay’s win
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Prize ‘a message to those who are attacking, undermining international system and its institutions,’ Nobel chair says
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‘If you see a Norwegian number calling, please pick up,’ Nobel committee chair tells peace prize winner
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Nobel committee’s decision backing for system of international law ‘under tremendous pressure’
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‘Legal measures can help prevent acts of war and violence,’ Nobel committee says
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Pillay ‘instrumental in ensuring war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide are prosecuted,’ Nobel committee chair says
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South African jurist Navanethem “Navi“ Pillay wins the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize.
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2026 Nobel Peace Prize announcement – watch live
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Morning opening: Who will win the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize?
Pillay’s Nobel ‘particularly significant’ given attacks on international law, ICC head says
The Nobel Peace Prize awarded to former International Criminal Court judge Navi Pillay is especially important given current attacks on international law, the president of the ICC said.
“At a time of profound challenges to the international legal order and the rule of law, this recognition carries particular significance,” said Tomoko Akane in a statement quoted by AFP.
The United States has vowed to dismantle the ICC “brick-by-brick”, furious at the court issuing arrest warrants for Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the military campaign in Gaza.
Washington has sanctioned top ICC officials and has threatened to slap sanctions against the court as a whole, which would cause the institution significant operational difficulties.
“This is an important recognition of the vital role that international justice plays as a cornerstone of lasting peace,” said Akane in her statement.
South African legal experts pay tribute to Pillay on her Nobel win
Rachel Savage
Southern African correspondent
Dire Tladi, a South African judge serving on the International Court of Justice, where both he and Pillay are judges on the case brought by Gambia accusing Myanmar of genocide against the Rohingya minority, said:
“I am extremely pleased for Navi and very proud of her. This is absolutely well deserved for a lifetime dedicated to making the world a better place.
As a South African currently serving with Navi in Gambia v Myanmar where she serves as ad hoc judge, I feel particularly privileged and proud.”
Yasmin Sooka, a human rights lawyer and commissioner on both South Africa and Sierra Leone’s Truth & Reconciliation Commissions, said:
“I congratulate our beloved Navi Pillay on her richly deserved Nobel Peace Prize. She follows in the footsteps of Chief Albert Luthuli and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, carrying forward South Africa’s proud tradition of linking peace with justice and human dignity.
From defending apartheid’s most vulnerable to her pioneering role in the Akayesu judgment, she has transformed international justice. That judgment helped establish rape and sexual violence as weapons of war—a historic breakthrough that placed survivors’ experiences at the heart of international justice.
At the ICC, as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and leading the inquiry that found Israel responsible for genocide in Gaza, she has brought unwavering integrity and courage to holding power accountable.
For those of us who have benefited from her leadership and commitment to human rights, democracy, and the rule of law, she has been a generous mentor and trusted adviser. I cannot think of anyone more deserving of this extraordinary honour.”
‘To say it is well deserved is a total understatement,’ UN human rights chief says
UN human rights chief Volker Türk joins in congratulations for Pillay on the award.
He says “if you walk about this building, there is emotion, there is happiness, there is a great joy that one of ours has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.”
He says:
“To say it is well deserved is a total understatement, and especially at a time when human rights are under attack on so many fronts, including from those who wields enormous power.
This award is particularly poignant. It is an award to all those who around the world, dedicate their lives to the defence of human rights, often at great risk to their security.”
Türk says it is “a recognition, a reaffirmation that human rights, the rule of law and justice and accountability are fundamental to everything – to peace, and security, and prosperity.”
He says the award for her is great “not only [because of] what she embodies, but also of her as a person, as a very warm person, as someone who has touched many of the lives of my colleagues.”
In the Q&A, he says:
“The fact that the Nobel award committee decided to give this to Navi Pillay is a collective win for human rights, but also for the for seeking justice and accountability in this world.
And it’s clear that we need the international criminal accountability mechanisms, including the International Criminal Court.
And it’s clear that this is a very strong signal that this is absolutely critical in today’s world. And we see so many violations occur everywhere.”
‘Richly earned and lavishly justified,’ retired South African constitutional court justice says
Rachel Savage
Southern Africa correspondent
Edwin Cameron, a retired South African constitutional court justice, who is also known for his activism for LGBTQ+ rights and people living with HIV/Aids:
“The award is richly earned and lavishly justified.
It comes at a painful time in our national life. As elsewhere, we have been wrecked by anguish about cross-border migration. This has led to hate-filled anti-migrant xenophobic movements distributing toxic untruths about cross-border migration. The result is that families, mothers, babies, traders, workers, have been terrorised, and many forced to flee.
The award of the Prize to Navi Pillay re-emphasises that the Prize embodies an international aspiration to peace, and to respect and understanding across borders – and that leaders of great stature in our country (Tutu, Mandela, now Pillay) are recognised outside it, on the international stage.
This may help reset our national debate on South Africa’s position in the region, and in Africa.”
‘Why would you need courage to speak the truth?,’ surprised Pillay says in impromptu speech to associates
Looking visibly amused by the decision in the video, Pillay repeatedly asks if that’s even true, as she says someone called her up and she thought it was a joke.
(She gets reassured that it’s on the BBC, so it must be true.)
“Your applause means victory, really. You don’t want to receive an award, prize or anything unless the public agrees that you deserve this. So that. That’s how I appreciate your applause today.”
“But being a lawyer and a judge I still want to verify,” she laughs.
She says it is “very appropriate” that she is with her “good friends, all of whom support human rights,” as she references her last big thing, the delivery of the UN inquiry report on Gaza, which called it an ongoing genocide.
She explains:
“One of the main reactions to that … was paying tribute to me for my courage.
And you can imagine how surprised I was. Why would you need courage to speak the truth? You interpret the law, you look at all the facts, so it’s an impartial decision making.”
She continued:
“So right now, I’m still involved as ad hoc judge in the case brought by the Gambia against Myanmar. So everybody says when you going to stop, when are you going to stop? I just turned 85 just last month. I can’t obviously stop my work in support of the Nuremberg Principles, because of the people we meet here.”
She ends laughing: “You know, I hope this is not a joke!”
‘If you clap a little bit more I may share this prize with Trump,’ Pillay jokes
In a hilarious video posted by Amnesty International’s secretary general Agnes Callamar and showing the moment Pillay found out about the award, her associates applaud her as she walks into the room in disbelief, before joking:
If you clap a little bit more I may share this prize with Trump.
Ouch.
This will sting.
‘Few have devoted their lives to justice, peace and human dignity’ like Pillay, von der Leyen says
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said “few have devoted their lives to justice, peace, and human dignity” like Navi Pillay, as she congratulated her on the win.
von der Leyen said:
“Congratulations to lawyer and human rights activist Navanethem “Navi” Pillay on her Nobel Peace Prize.
Few have devoted their lives to justice, peace and human dignity like she did.
From the violence of apartheid in South Africa to the horrors of the Rwandan genocide, she has confronted some of humanity’s darkest chapters.
She has looked the brutality of injustice in the eye and never looked away. She is the defender of the persecuted, the vulnerable, the voiceless and the excluded. Of the rule of law over the right of might.
In a world that needs justice more than ever, her courage and moral clarity are a precious compass.”
‘Amazing news,’ UN human rights office reacts to Pillay’s win
The United Nations human rights office welcomed the news of Navi Pillay’s Nobel Peace Prize win, acknowledging her longstanding advocacy for human rights, as reported by Reuters.
“It is amazing news, we need more dedication and commitment to human rights,” Shabia Mantoo, spokesperson for the UN human rights office, told reporters in Geneva.
“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,” Mantoo said in reaction to Pillay’s win.
And that ends the presentation.
Anyone’s got Pillay’s phone number? Asking for a Norwegian friend.
Prize ‘a message to those who are attacking, undermining international system and its institutions,’ Nobel chair says
Jørgen Watne Frydnes gets repeatedly asked why the award was given to a person, and not an international court or other broader body.
He repeatedly says Pilay has been “at the forefront of the development of international law for decades, up until this day,” and is the right recipient.
“This is a message that international law and its institutions are the cornerstone of a more peaceful world. So of course, we hope that this prize also will strengthen the institutions, the individuals, not only Navi Pillay, but particularly her.”
He says she is “one of the most courageous and important legal experts of our time.”
He gets pushed on whether the award sends a message to those who question or sanction international courts, including the International Court of Justice.
It’s may sound innocent, but it’s a very specific question as the international court of justice has faced direct pressure and sanction threats from the US, among others.
Jørgen Watne Frydnes doesn’t miss a beat when he answers:
“This is definitely a message to those who are attacking, undermin[ing] the international system, the international rules-based system and the institutions.
Absolutely.”
‘If you see a Norwegian number calling, please pick up,’ Nobel committee chair tells peace prize winner
Nobel committee’s Jørgen Watne Frydnes now answers some questions.
Amazingly, he says the committee has not been able to reach Pillay.
He says:
“If you see a Norwegian number calling, please pick up. I would love to talk to you very soon.”
And that’s the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Navi Pillay:
Nobel committee’s decision backing for system of international law ‘under tremendous pressure’
Explaining the decision, Nobel committee’s Jørgen Watne Frydnes says “the system of international law is under tremendous pressure, and its institutions are under attack.”
“We see a shift towards power politics at the expense of legal frameworks and global respects for law and justice. Whenever might overtakes right, it undermines stability, trust and peaceful coexistence.
In awarding this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee wants to remind the world that the rule of law, national and international, underpins the system we have set up to ensure peace and resolve conflicts non-violently.
Peace requires justice.
History has shown that a world operating without the rule of law is unjust, unwise and inhumane. The judges, those who guard the thin red line between order and chaos, are therefore highly deserving of our praise.
But today, as these same judges are sanctioned and their institutions are under attack, we need people of courage, vision and determination – qualities that Navi Pillay demonstrates in her work on the bench.
He continues by saying:
“Navi Pillay has held states and national leaders accountable and brought hope to the victims of violence and conflict.
In all the positions she has held, she has stressed the responsibility of individuals and states to comply with the rule of law. She has also helped define the relevant norms and legal principles when the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda established that rape and sexual violence could constitute a crime against humanity as well as genocide.
Her influence was a significant factor. In the same case, Miss Pillay was instrumental in a separate legal breakthrough. For the first time, a defendant faced charges of incitement to commit genocide purely on the basis of spreading propaganda.”
He wraps up:
“The Nobel Peace Prize for 2026 springs directly from Alfred Nobel’s will. Navi Pillay strengthens fraternity between nations and by systematically advancing the use of tribunals for peace and justice, she provides substance, direction and motivation for peace conferences in their modern form.
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 those who seek to bring about a more peaceful world.”
‘Legal measures can help prevent acts of war and violence,’ Nobel committee says
He continues:
“This year’s laureate has significantly enlarged the scope and impact of international law.
She has served as a judge on the High Court in South Africa, the International Criminal Tribunal of 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.
In historic international court cases, she has shown that legal measures can help prevent acts of war and violence.
Navi Pillay has also contributed to strengthen the institutions of international law. Her independence, her expertise and steadfastness have made her one of the most respected international jurists of our time.”
Pillay ‘instrumental in ensuring war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide are prosecuted,’ Nobel committee chair says
Presenting the winner, Jørgen Watne Frydnes says:
“The Nobel Peace Prize for 2026 goes to a person who, with exceptional courage and integrity, has led the way towards a more comprehensive global legal order. This year’s laureate has been instrumental in ensuring that war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide are prosecuted.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2026 to Navanethem “Navi“ Pillay 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. 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.
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.”
South African jurist Navanethem “Navi“ Pillay wins the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize.
Ooh.
That’s a surprise.
The ceremony gets under way.
And it looks like it won’t be any of the obvious favourites.
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