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Nobel Peace Prize goes to South African human rights pioneer Navi Pillay - CNN
From CNN via USVI News: Nobel Peace Prize laureate Navi Pillay led the UN commission that concluded Israel committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed he deserves to win. Follow for live updates.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres congratulated Navi Pillay on the Nobel Peace Prize, calling her “a steadfast, independent voice of justice amidst some of the most historic international legal cases of our time.”
Guterres cited her work in South Africa defending Nelson Mandela and others who stood up against apartheid, her role as president of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, her tenure as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and her work chairing the UN inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
“Today’s prize is a tribute to all those working to uphold and defend international law, the rule of law and human rights, and secure peace, justice and human dignity,” the UN secretary-general added.
Other UN and world leaders have also congratulated the 2026 Nobel peace laureate:
UN Human Rights commissioner: “Warmest congratulations to my dear friend and former UN Human Rights Chief Navi Pillay on the Nobel Peace Prize. She has shown what courage, integrity and an unwavering belief in human rights and the law can achieve,” the current UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said. “Thank you, Navi, for inspiring us all.”
EU Commission president: “Few have devoted their lives to justice, peace and human dignity like she did,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. “She has looked the brutality of injustice in the eye and never looked away… In a world that needs justice more than ever, her courage and moral clarity are a precious compass.”
South African president: Cyril Ramaphosa said in a statement: “Justice Pillay’s crowning as winner of the Nobel Prize allows us to celebrate the progressive contributions she has made to strengthen peace, uphold human dignity and bring hope in South Africa and to peoples globally.”
Nelson Mandela Foundation: The nonprofit founded by the former president of South Africa also congratulated Pillay, saying that her recognition is a significant moment “for the broader struggle for justice and human dignity. Her lifelong commitment to these principles reflects the values Nelson Mandela championed and the work that remains necessary to realise a more just world.”
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