OSLO, October 9, 2026 (Kamran Raja): Navanethem “Navi” Pillay won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for her efforts to promote peace and international law, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced. The committee said Pillay had held states and national leaders accountable, offered hope to victims of violence and conflict, and demonstrated a strong moral compass throughout her distinguished career. It highlighted her early work defending Nelson Mandela and others who opposed apartheid, as well as her service as a judge in several landmark international court cases. Jorgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, said Pillay had played a crucial role in ensuring that war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide were prosecuted. The committee said the award came at a time when international law was facing tremendous pressure and its institutions were under attack. Frydnes stressed that, amid rising wars and conflicts, international law had become an absolute necessity for peace and security. Pillay previously chaired the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which concluded last year that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza. Israel rejected the report as “scandalous.” The award is expected to draw attention amid repeated criticism of international justice institutions by US President Donald Trump’s administration. Since returning to the White House in January 2025, Trump has openly expressed his desire to win the Nobel Peace Prize. In a related moment, Pillay was quoted as joking that she might share the prize with Trump if the audience applauded a little louder, according to a video captured by Amnesty International Secretary General Agnes Callamard in Nuremberg and shared on social media platform X.