US President Donald Trump’s hopes of winning the Nobel Peace Prize have once again gone unfulfilled, with the 2026 award going to renowned South African jurist and human rights lawyer Navanethem “Navi” Pillay.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded Pillay the prize in recognition of her efforts to promote peace and international law.
Born in Durban, South Africa, in 1941 into a family of Indian Tamil origin, Pillay grew up under apartheid and overcame racial and gender discrimination to build a distinguished legal career. She later became the first non-white woman to serve as a judge on South Africa’s High Court.
During the early years of her legal career, Pillay represented political prisoners and anti-apartheid activists before moving on to prominent international judicial and human rights roles.
Following the end of apartheid, she became a judge at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, where she played an important role in the development of international criminal law.
Pillay later served as a judge at the International Criminal Court and was the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2008 to 2014.
She also chaired the UN Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Under her leadership, the commission accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, allegations Israel rejected.
The Nobel Committee highlighted Pillay’s decades-long work in strengthening international law and advancing accountability for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded by the Norwegian Nobel Committee. The Nobel prizes were established under the will of Swedish industrialist and dynamite inventor Alfred Nobel and were first awarded in 1901.
Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Earlier this week, he said he believed he deserved the honour, although he voiced doubts about whether he would receive it.
