Navi Pillay wins Nobel Peace Prize, jokes about Trump

Navi Pillay was named the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize laureate on October 9, with the Norwegian Nobel Committee recognizing her work promoting international law. After learning of the award at an event in Nuremberg, Germany, the South African jurist joked that she might share it with U.S. President Donald Trump if the applause continued. The committee said Pillay had helped ensure that war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide are prosecuted. It described international law and its institutions as under pressure, and said the rule of law is essential to peace and the peaceful resolution of conflicts. Pillay, a former U.N. human rights chief and former judge of the International Criminal Court, was attending a conference when the announcement was made. In remarks reported after the news, she dedicated the award to survivors of international crimes and to practitioners and defenders of international justice. She also said she hoped it would remind world leaders of their legal obligations to uphold human rights and defend independent courts. Her quip about Trump drew laughter from those present.