Trump fails to get Nobel Peace Prize yet again as human rights campaigner is awarded

Better luck next time

Navanethem ‘Navi’ Pillay, a South African jurist, has been lauded for promoting peace and international law, from defending Nelson Mandela to serving as a judge in key international court cases.

The 85-year-old is a former UN human rights commissioner.

She “significantly enlarged the scope and impact of international law’ through her work as a judge on the International Court and as former UN human rights chief”, said Jørgen Watne Frydnes, the current Chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, which awards the Nobel Peace Prize.

Pillay has a “firm moral compass”, the committee also said.

Navi Pillay during the United Nations' International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in 2013, at the time when she was UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Credit: Getty Images

What Trump has said about the Nobel Peace Prize

US President Donald Trump repeatedly said he “earned” the award, as he made no secret of the fact that he has long sought the prestigious award.

During his UN speech in September of last year, Trump claimed to have “ended seven un-endable wars”, since his second term in office.

Maria Corina Machado, last year won the Nobel Peace Prize for promoting the democratic rights of the people of Venezuela.

While she gave her Nobel medal to Trump as a gesture, the Nobel Committee said the honour cannot be transferred.

As President of the United States, Barack Obama was the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in October 2009, during his first term as president. The Nobel Committee awarded Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy, cooperation between peoples and vision for a world without nuclear weapons. Credit: Getty Images

How the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded

The criteria for winning the Nobel Peace Prize, which is one of five Nobel Prizes established by wealthy industrialist Alfred Nobel in his will, are vague.

It is a five-member committee who makes the decision, and it is the Norwegian Parliament that appoints them.

The winner is announced in October each year, while nominations close in January of the year that the prize is awarded.