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The Nobel Peace Prize for 2026 was awarded to Navanethem “Navi” Pillay for her efforts to promote peace and international law. Born into a family of Indian Tamil origin under apartheid in Durban, South Africa, Pillay became a lawyer and legal pioneer, confronting deep structural discrimination, segregation and exclusion. 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. Pillay has held states and national leaders accountable and brought hope to victims of violence and conflict. In this call with the Norwegian Nobel Committee shortly after the announcement, Pillay said the prize is a recognition for all jurists who work with international law nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/…