Former United Nations human‑rights chief Navanethem “Navi” Pillay, an 85‑year‑old South African‑born judge on the International Court of Justice, was announced as this year’s Nobel Peace Prize laureate during a ceremony in Oslo, Norway.
Why the prize was awarded
The Norwegian Nobel Committee highlighted Pillay’s decades‑long effort to promote peace through a strong international legal system. In its release the committee wrote that, “at a time when the number of wars and conflicts is rising, and when judges and institutions of international law are under political attack, the Nobel Committee wishes to issue a reminder that the ability to resolve conflicts without force or violence is dependent on the international rule of law.”
Committee chair Jørgen Watne Frydnes added that an international legal framework that holds war criminals accountable and delivers justice to victims is a precondition for a peaceful world.
Context and other Nobel announcements
The Nobel Peace Prize this year marks the award’s 125th anniversary. The committee received nominations for 287 candidates, with just over a quarter representing organizations. Earlier in the week, Nobel prizes were announced in medicine, physics, chemistry, literature and economic sciences.
Last year, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado received the Peace Prize for her struggle for democratic transition in Venezuela. She famously presented her medal to President Trump after the United States helped remove Nicolás Maduro from power, though the Nobel Committee clarified that the medal itself cannot be transferred.
Prize details
The laureate will receive 12 million Swedish kronor (approximately $1.2 million). The Peace Prize has been awarded to 112 individuals and 28 institutions since its inception in 1901, with the Red Cross winning three times and the U.N. refugee agency twice.
While the Nobel Peace Prize has been withheld 19 times—most often during world wars—this year’s award underscores the enduring belief that law, not force, is the foundation of lasting peace.
Original reporting: WPBF West Palm Beach — read the source article.
