Navi Pillay wins 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for human rights work

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South African jurist Navanethem “Navi” Pillay, 85, has won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to advance peace and international law, recognising decades of work defending human rights and prosecuting serious international crimes.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee praised Pillay for holding governments and leaders accountable and bringing hope to victims of violence and conflict. Committee chair Jørgen Watne Frydnes highlighted her role in advancing the prosecution of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

Born in Durban in 1941, Pillay grew up under apartheid and became one of the first South African women of Indian descent to practise law. She defended anti-apartheid activists, including Nelson Mandela, and challenged discriminatory prison conditions.

After apartheid, she served as a judge at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, where she helped establish legal precedents recognising rape as an act of genocide. She later served as a judge at the International Criminal Court and led the UN human rights office from 2008 to 2014.

The UN human rights office welcomed the award, saying it could inspire greater commitment to protecting human rights.

Pillay most recently chaired the UN Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory. In 2025, the commission concluded that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, a finding Israel rejected.

The prize, worth 11 million Swedish kronor, will be presented in Oslo on December 10.