The Nobel Committee announced that it has awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize to South African human rights lawyer and judge Navanethem “Navi” Pillay, in recognition of her efforts to promote peace and international law.
She is known for her opposition to apartheid and her defense of human rights.
Born in Durban on September 23, 1941, she served as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights between 2008 and 2014.
Among the key milestones of her career:
– She began practicing law in 1967, defending activists and detainees who opposed the apartheid regime.
– In 1995, she became the first non-white woman to serve as a judge on South Africa’s Supreme Court.
– She served as a judge at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda between 1995 and 2003, and presided over it between 1999 and 2003.
– She then moved to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, where she served as a judge between 2003 and 2008.
She contributed to the landmark ruling in the Jean-Paul Akayesu case, which established that rape and sexual violence can constitute acts of genocide. She also helped found the organization “Equality Now,” dedicated to defending women’s rights.
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