John Nash, “a mathematical genius”, was awarded the prize in economic sciences for his work on game theory – in particular developing the Nash equilibrium. His brilliant doctoral thesis outlining his prize-awarded work was completed when he was just 21.

More and more conflicts are being addressed through diplomacy, treaties and legal mechanisms, rather than threats, violence and warfare. International law is a foundation for a more peaceful world.

Navi Pillay’s commitment to justice and human dignity is a source of hope and inspiration to all who seek to bring about a more peaceful world.

Navi Pillay is one of the great defenders of international legal principles in our time. Her distinguished career reminds us of the need to support, fortify and expand the global rule of law.

In historic international court cases, she has shown that legal measures can help prevent acts of war and violence. Navi Pillay has also contributed to strengthen the institutions of international law.

Today Navi Pillay is a judge on the International Court of Justice in the case where Myanmar stands accused of genocide.

She was the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and, until recently, she chaired the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

This year’s laureate has significantly enlarged the scope and impact of international law. She has served as a judge on the High Court in South Africa, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the International Criminal Court.

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.

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.

2026 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Navi Pillay’s commitment to universal legal principles and her firm moral compass are constants in a long career.

But today, as these same judges are sanctioned, and their institutions are attacked, we need people of courage, vision and determination – qualities that 2026 peace laureate Navi Pillay demonstrates in her work on the bench.

History has shown that a world operating without the rule of law is unjust, unwise and inhumane. The judges – those who guard the thin red line between order and chaos – are therefore highly deserving of our praise.

In awarding this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee wants to remind the world that the rule of law – national and international – underpins the system we have set up to ensure peace and resolve conflicts non-violently. Peace requires justice.