Navi Pillay Wins Nobel Peace Prize For Advancing Human Rights And Justice

NEW DELHI-Indian-origin South African jurist Navanethem “Navi” Pillay, a former judge of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on October 9 for her efforts to promote peace and international law.

Pillay, 85, has played a significant role in advancing international justice and accountability for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide through her work in national and international courts and United Nations bodies.

Born into a family of Indian Tamil descent in Durban, South Africa, Pillay became the first non-white woman appointed to the country’s High Court. The Norwegian Nobel Committee, which selects the laureates, said she had been at the forefront of developing an international legal order.

The committee recognized her “role as a driving force in the development of an international system of law and order”, highlighting her “judicial rigor, personal integrity, and considerable courage”.

“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. An international legal system in which war criminals are held to account, and the victims of abuse see justice served is a precondition for a peaceful world,” the committee said.

Pillay began her legal career defending anti-apartheid activists and opened her own law firm in 1967. She came to prominence as part of a defense team in a trial under anti-terrorism legislation that exposed the use of torture and unlawful interrogation methods.

In 1973, she secured another significant victory by helping political prisoners on Robben Island, including Nelson Mandela, obtain access to lawyers and other basic rights.

Following the end of apartheid, Pillay was appointed to South Africa’s High Court in 1995. In 1999, she became a judge and president of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), where she played a key role in establishing important legal precedents on sexual violence and genocide.

During the trial of Hutu leader Jean-Paul Akayesu, the tribunal recognized that rape and sexual violence could constitute crimes against humanity and, under certain circumstances, acts of genocide. The case also marked a significant development in the prosecution of direct and public incitement to genocide through propaganda.

Pillay was appointed a judge at the International Criminal Court in 2003. She resigned in 2008, before her term was due to end in 2012, to become the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Her initial four-year term, from 2008 to 2012, was extended by two years, and she served in the post until 2014.

In 2019, Pillay became an ad hoc judge at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the genocide case brought by The Gambia against Myanmar over its treatment of the Rohingya minority. She continues to serve as an ad hoc judge in the case, in which Myanmar faces allegations of genocide.

In 2021, Pillay was appointed chair of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, established following the May 2021 Israel-Palestinian clashes. She served in the role until November 2025.

In June 2024, the commission found that war crimes had been committed by both Hamas and Israel in connection with the October 2023 attacks and the subsequent conflict. In September 2025, the commission concluded that Israel had committed genocide in its military operations in Gaza. The findings were those of the commission chaired by Pillay.

Earlier in 2026, Pillay was also awarded the Olof Palme Prize alongside fellow South African legal scholar John Dugard. (IANS)