Trump’s Nobel Peace Prize Dream Dashed Again as South African Lawyer Wins 2026 Award

OSLO: South African jurist and human rights advocate Navanethem “Navi” Pillay has won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to promote peace and international law, leaving US President Donald Trump without the honour despite Pakistan’s renewed support for his nomination.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced the award on Friday, October 9, praising Pillay for holding states and national leaders accountable and bringing hope to victims of violence and conflict. The committee highlighted her long career in defending human rights and strengthening international justice.

Born in Durban, South Africa, in 1941, Pillay comes from an Indian-origin family and grew up during the apartheid era. She became one of the first women of Indian descent in South Africa to practise law, representing anti-apartheid activists and challenging abuses within the country’s prison system.

Following the end of apartheid, Pillay served as a judge at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, where her work contributed to the recognition of sexual violence as a crime that could constitute genocide. She later became United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, serving from 2008 to 2014.

Pillay also chaired the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which concluded in a 2025 report that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza. Israel rejected the findings, describing the report as “scandalous”. The commission’s conclusions remain a subject of international dispute.

The United Nations human rights office welcomed the Nobel announcement, recognising Pillay’s longstanding commitment to human rights and calling for her work to inspire others to defend the rights of people worldwide.

Trump misses out despite Pakistan’s support

The award comes after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reiterated Pakistan’s support for Trump’s nomination, praising what he described as the US president’s historic role in preventing further escalation between Pakistan and India.

In a post on X on Friday, Shehbaz said Trump’s intervention helped bring the two countries back from the brink of war and secure a ceasefire that remained in place. He said Pakistan had nominated Trump in recognition of his contribution and expressed hope that his peace efforts would receive international recognition.

Pakistan had previously backed Trump for the award following the May 2025 military conflict between Pakistan and India, which ended with a ceasefire. Trump has repeatedly highlighted his diplomatic efforts and expressed interest in receiving the Nobel Peace Prize.

However, the Norwegian Nobel Committee selected Pillay for her work on international law and human rights. Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado received the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize.

The Nobel Peace Prize carries a monetary award of 12 million Swedish kronor, equivalent to approximately $1.2 million. Pillay is due to receive the award at a ceremony in Oslo on December 10, the anniversary of the death of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, who established the prizes in his will.

The announcement marks the fifth Nobel Prize awarded this week, following the prizes in medicine, physics, chemistry and literature.