South African judge of Indian-origin Navanethem "Navi" Pillay has won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced on Friday (Oct 8). The committee awarded the prize "for her efforts to promote peace and international law."Explaining its decision, the committee pointed to a link between the different stages of Pillay's career. "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.&nbsp;This is the fifth Nobel announcement this week. The Committee announced awards in literature, chemistry, physics, and medicine earlier. Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado won the prize in 2025.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">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&mdash; The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) <a href="https://x.com/NobelPrize/status/2108482846449189371?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Navanethem "Navi" Pillay has won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize. Learn about the former UN High Commissioner, South Africa's first non-white female High Court judge, and her lifelong fight for international law. 

South African judge of Indian-origin Navanethem "Navi" Pillay has won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced on Friday (Oct 8). The committee awarded the prize "for her efforts to promote peace and international law." Explaining its decision, the committee pointed to a link between the different stages of Pillay's career. "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. This is the fifth Nobel announcement this week. The Committee announced awards in literature, chemistry, physics, and medicine earlier. Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado won the prize in 2025.

Navanethem "Navi" Pillay has won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize.Learn about the former UN High Commissioner, South Africa's first non-white female High Court judge, and her lifelong fight for international law.

Nobel Peace Prize 2026 goes to Indian-Origin Human Rights Pioneer Navi Pillay

Former United Nations rights chief Navi Pillay will lead the UN’s open-ended inquiry into 'systematic' abuses in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. Pillay will be leading a three-person investigation intended to examine abuses and their root causes in the decades-long Middle East conflict.

Former UN rights chief to lead open-ended inquiry into Israel-Gaza conflict

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Nobel Peace Prize 2026 goes to Indian-Origin Human Rights Pioneer Navi Pillay

Former UN rights chief to lead open-ended inquiry into Israel-Gaza conflict