South African human rights activist and lawyer Navi Pillay, the former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for this year. U.S. President Donald Trump, who had publicly expressed expectations for the award, did not win.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced on October 9 that Pillay was selected as this year's Nobel Peace Prize laureate during a ceremony at the Nobel Institute in Oslo. The committee cited her efforts to promote "peace and international law" as the reason for the award.
The committee praised Pillay for her long-standing courage and moral conviction, noting her pivotal role in holding accountable those responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide under international law.
"In an era where power overwhelms the law and international organizations are under attack, upholding the principles of international law is more important than ever," the committee explained, adding that "justice is necessary for long-term peace."
Pillay was born into an Indian Tamil family in Durban, South Africa. Growing up under the apartheid regime, she became a lawyer and represented anti-apartheid activists, including former South African President Nelson Mandela.
In 1967, she became the first woman to open a law office in Natal, South Africa. She later served as a judge on the South African High Court, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), and the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Pillay contributed to establishing the legal precedent that sexual violence and rape can be considered crimes against humanity and tools of genocide at the ICTR. She is also recognized for expanding the scope of international criminal law to hold individuals accountable for incitement to genocide through media and propaganda.
From 2008 to 2014, she served as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, addressing human rights violations worldwide. Recently, she chaired a UN independent commission investigating the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories and is currently participating as a temporary judge in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) case concerning the Gambia versus Myanmar over genocide.
With Pillay's award, the Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to women for the second consecutive year. Last year, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado received the prize for her efforts to promote democratic rights and peaceful power transitions. Including Pillay, the total number of female Nobel Peace Prize laureates has now reached 21.
Ahead of the announcement, there was significant interest in whether Trump would receive the award. On October 7, just two days before the announcement, Trump stated, "It’s time for me to receive it," expressing his expectations for the prize.
He has repeatedly claimed that he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize, citing his involvement in resolving or easing eight conflicts since beginning his second term.
Since its inception in 1901, the Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded 107 times. In South Korea, former President Kim Dae-jung received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000 for his contributions to reconciliation between North and South Korea and the promotion of democracy and human rights in Korea and East Asia.
This year, there were 208 individual nominees and 79 organizations nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. The winner will receive a cash award of 12 million Swedish kronor, along with a medal and a certificate. The award ceremony will take place in Oslo on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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