▲ Navi Pillay, Nobel Peace Prize laureate
Navi Pillay, an ad hoc judge at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) from South Africa who has previously served as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and an International Criminal Court (ICC) judge, has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced on the 9th (local time) that Pillay was selected as the recipient of the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her contributions to the promotion of peace and the development of international law.
The Nobel Committee explained, "Pillay has spearheaded the establishment of a more comprehensive international legal order with exceptional courage and integrity," adding, "She has played a pivotal role in ensuring that war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide are brought to justice."
Born in 1941 into a Tamil Indian family in Durban, South Africa, Pillay fought against deep-rooted structural discrimination, racial segregation, and exclusion while working as a lawyer.
Early in her career as a lawyer, she dedicated herself to protecting the human rights of political prisoners, including former South African President Nelson Mandela, who resisted apartheid, the white minority regime's policy of racial segregation and discrimination.
Subsequently, after being appointed as a judge to the High Court of South Africa in 1995, she served as a judge at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) from 1999 to 2003, and at the International Criminal Court (ICC) from 2003 to 2008.
She served as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2008 to 2014.
From 2021 to 2025, she chaired the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
She is currently serving as a judge in the case brought against Myanmar for alleged genocide at the International Court of Justice.
The Nobel Committee noted that Pillay has demonstrated through historic international trials that legal action can help prevent war and violence.
The committee emphasized, "Pillay has held states and national leaders accountable and brought hope to victims of violence and conflict," adding, "Through her independence, expertise, and unwavering conviction, she has established herself as one of the most respected international jurists of our time."
Nobel Prize laureates receive a prize of 12 million Swedish kronor (approximately 1.61 billion won), along with a medal and a diploma.
This year's Nobel Prize announcements began with the Physiology or Medicine prize on the 5th, followed by Physics, Chemistry, and Literature, and will conclude with the announcement of the Economics prize on the 12th.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News) (Photo: Nobel Prize X capture, Yonhap News)
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