Navi Pillay wins 2026 nobel peace prize for her work on international law
Navi Pillay has won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for her work promoting international law, human rights and accountability through international courts.
South African jurist Navi Pillay, a former United Nations human rights chief and International Criminal Court judge, has won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to promote peace and international law.
Announced in Oslo on Friday, October 9, the award recognises Pillay’s long career in international justice, including her work on cases involving genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The Norwegian Nobel Committee said she had helped strengthen international legal institutions and hold states and national leaders accountable.
“The system of international law is under tremendous pressure, and its institutions are under attack,” the committee said, warning that growing reliance on power over legal frameworks threatens stability and peaceful coexistence.
Who Is Navi Pillay?
Born in Durban, South Africa, in 1941 to a family of Indian Tamil origin, Pillay began her legal career during apartheid, when racial discrimination shaped the country’s institutions.
In 1967, she became the first woman to establish a law practice in Natal and later became the first non-white woman appointed to South Africa’s High Court.
Her career subsequently took her to international courts. She served as a judge and president of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, where the tribunal’s landmark work helped establish that rape and sexual violence can constitute acts of genocide.
Pillay later served as a judge at the International Criminal Court and as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2008 to 2014.
The Nobel Committee highlighted a common thread throughout her career: her early work defending Nelson Mandela and others who opposed apartheid, followed by her service in major international legal cases.
UN Commission’s Findings on Gaza
Pillay also chaired the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
In September 2025, the commission concluded that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza during its military campaign following the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023. Israel rejected the report as “scandalous” and disputed its conclusions.
The commission’s findings became part of Pillay’s human rights work, alongside her wider efforts to strengthen accountability under international law.
Pillay has also served as a judge at the International Court of Justice, which is hearing a case concerning allegations of genocide against Myanmar over its treatment of the Rohingya. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya fled Myanmar following a military crackdown.
The Nobel Committee said Pillay had demonstrated integrity and courage throughout her career. It said the rule of law, nationally and internationally, is essential to resolving conflicts peacefully.
The award comes amid pressure on international judicial institutions, including the International Criminal Court, which has faced US sanctions and criticism over actions involving Israeli leaders.
The 2026 Nobel Peace Prize is worth 12 million Swedish kronor. The award ceremony is scheduled to take place in Oslo on December 10.
