Indian-origin Navanethem “Navi” Pillay wins Nobel Peace Prize 2026

The Nobel Peace Prize 2026 has been awarded to Indian Tamil origin Navanethem “Navi” Pillay for her efforts to promote peace and international law, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced on Friday. She will receive a medal, a diploma and prize money of 12 million Swedish kronor (around $1.2 million) at the ceremony in Oslo, Norway, on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death.

Pillay is a South African jurist born into a Tamil family. She was the former head of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory and a former International Criminal Court judge. Her career spans landmark human rights cases, international criminal tribunals and six years as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

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"Her work had helped advance a global legal order and hold states and national leaders accountable for violations. It stressed that the rule of law was essential to maintaining peace and resolving conflicts without violence," the Norwegian Nobel Committee said.

The committee said that Pillay’s commitment to justice and human dignity is a source of hope and inspiration to all who seek to bring about a more peaceful world.

It said that her work had brought hope to victims of violence and conflict, adding that peace required justice. The award also serves as a reminder of the importance of protecting judges and institutions that uphold national and international law.

Also Read: Nobel Peace Prize 2026: Who is Indian origin South African jurist Navanethem "Navi" Pillay?

The chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Jørgen Watne Frydnes, said they were not able to reach "Navi" Pillay.

A total of 287 candidates were nominated for this year's Nobel Peace Prize.

The United Nations human rights office on Friday welcomed the news of Navi Pillay's Nobel Peace Prize win, acknowledging her longstanding advocacy for human rights. "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.

Malala Yousafzai remains the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner. She was 17 when she received the award in 2014 for her work promoting children's right to education. Joseph Rotblat, who was 86 when he won the prize in 1995 for his efforts towards nuclear disarmament, is the oldest recipient.

Wangari Maathai became the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004. She founded the Green Belt Movement, which led to the planting of millions of trees.

Linus Pauling remains the only person to have won two unshared Nobel Prizes. He received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1954 for his work on chemical bonding and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1962 for his campaign against nuclear weapons.

So far, the Nobel Peace Prize had been awarded 106 times, recognising 112 individuals and 28 organisational award instances. Some organisations have received the prize more than once.

The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, popularly known as the Economics Nobel, will be announced on Monday, October 12.