New Delhi Bureau. The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo on Friday, awarding it to Navanethem “Navi” Pillay, the South African jurist and human rights campaigner. Committee chair Jørgen Watne Frydnes said the prize honours her efforts to promote peace and international law.
Pillay, born in Durban to a family of Indian (Tamil) origin, served as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2008 to 2014 and as a judge of the International Criminal Court. Over a career spanning decades, she has been a prominent voice for the rule of law, accountability for war crimes, and the rights of victims.
A lifetime of human rights work
In its citation, the committee recognised Pillay’s sustained advocacy for peace and international law. Her work has spanned from apartheid-era South Africa to the global stage, where she pushed for justice in some of the world’s most difficult conflicts.
Trump passed over
The announcement was closely watched because United States President Donald Trump had openly campaigned for the prize, claiming credit for settling what he described as eight wars. The committee did not select him. Speaking to reporters earlier this week, Trump had said he deserved the honour while expressing doubt that the committee would choose him.
It was the second consecutive year Trump was overlooked. The 2025 prize went to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado; in January 2026, Machado presented Trump with her physical Nobel medal at the White House. The Nobel Institute later clarified that the award itself cannot be transferred.
Chosen from 287 candidates
The committee selected Pillay from 287 candidates, comprising 208 individuals and 79 organisations. Candidate identities are kept confidential, so the full field was never made public.
Pillay will receive the prize at the traditional ceremony in Oslo in December, an honour widely seen as recognition of a lifetime devoted to human dignity and international justice.
Photo: United States Mission Geneva, CC BY 2.0 — via Wikimedia Commons
