Trump Loses Nobel Peace Prize to Former UN Human Rights Chief

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South African judge and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay has won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to promote peace and international law, while US President Donald Trump has missed out on the award again.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced the award to Navanethem “Navi” Pillay, recognising her longstanding work defending human rights and advancing international justice.

“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,” the committee said.

The UN human rights office welcomed Pillay’s victory on Friday, praising her longstanding commitment to 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.

Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, claiming he deserves the honour. However, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado won the 2025 award.

Who is Navi Pillay?

Born into a poor Indian family in Durban, South Africa, Pillay grew up during the apartheid era and began her human rights work while the country enforced racial segregation.

The daughter of a bus driver, she became the first non-white woman to establish her own law practice in South Africa’s Natal Province in 1967. She later became the first non-white woman appointed to South Africa’s High Court.

After defending numerous opponents of apartheid, Pillay secured election by the UN General Assembly as a judge on the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. She served on the tribunal for eight years, including four years as its president.

More recently, she served on the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which the UN Human Rights Council established in 2021.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk also welcomed Pillay’s Nobel Peace Prize, describing the award as a collective victory for human rights and for those seeking justice and accountability, including through the International Criminal Court.

“The fact that the Nobel Award Commission decided to give this to Navi Pillay is a collective win for human rights, but also for seeking justice and accountability in this world,” Türk told reporters on Friday.

He stressed the importance of international criminal accountability mechanisms, including the International Criminal Court, and said the award sent a strong signal about their critical role in today’s world.

Pillay served as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2008 to 2014, before Türk succeeded her in the role.

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