Former UN human rights chief Navi Pillay wins the Nobel Peace Prize

Navanethem "Navi" Pillay, a South African jurist and former UN high commissioner for human rights, has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize.

Pillay, 85, who is an ad hoc judge at the International Court of Justice, was recognised for her efforts to promote peace and international law, said Jorgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

Her work "is a source of hope and inspiration to all those who seek to bring about a more peaceful world", he said.

Pillay held states and national leaders ​accountable and delivered a message of hope to victims of violence and conflict, demonstrating a firm moral compass throughout her long ​career, the committee 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," it said.

Pillay was chair of ‌the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory that concluded last year that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. Israel described the report as "scandalous".

"At a time when the number of wars and conflicts is rising, and when judges and institutions of international law are under political attack, the Nobel Committee wishes to issue a reminder that the ability to resolve conflicts without force or violence is dependent on the international rule of law," the committee said in a statement.

"An international legal system in which war criminals are held to account and the victims of abuse see justice served is a precondition for a peaceful world."

Pillay received the news at the Nuremberg Forum, a gathering to discuss international law in Nuremberg, Germany, the location of the trials of Nazi war criminals that helped lay the foundations of international law.

"Firstly, at this venue, your applause means a great deal to me," she said.

"You know, you don't want to receive an award, prize or anything unless the public agrees that you deserve this."

She added light-heartedly: "But being a lawyer and a judge, I still want to verify this information."

Pillay was born in Durban, in South Africa's Natal province, in a ⁠family of Indian Tamil origin.

She has been a judge on several international courts, including the International Criminal Court and ​the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.

US President Donald Trump has been heavily critical of the International Criminal Court, sanctioning 13 of the ICC's staff members, including key prosecutors and nine judges.

The UN human rights office welcomed ‌the news of Pillay's win on Friday, acknowledging her longstanding advocacy for human rights.

"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," said spokesperson Shabia Mantoo.

The Nobel Peace Prize, worth 12 million Swedish kronor (£910,249), is due to ‌be ⁠presented in Oslo on 10 December. This year marks the 125th anniversary of the prize.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee received nominations for 287 candidates, and just over a quarter of them were organisations.

Contenders for the prize this year included Pope Leo and Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado won the prize in 2025 for her struggle to achieve a democratic transition in the South American nation.

She had not been seen in public since January of that year, when she led protests against then-president Nicolas Maduro, who had been re-elected, despite widely being considered a dictator.

She dedicated the prize to Trump for "his decisive support of our cause".

Machado gave Trump her Nobel medal shortly after Maduro was ousted in January of this year, but it was largely symbolic, as the Nobel Committee has stated the honour itself cannot be transferred.

(c) Sky News 2026: Former UN human rights chief Navi Pillay wins the Nobel Peace Prize