Navi Pillay Awarded 2026 Nobel Peace Prize: South African International Law Expert

Navi Pillay, an ad hoc judge at the International Court of Justice who previously served as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and a judge at the International Criminal Court, has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced on the 9th local time that Pillay was selected as the winner 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 led the establishment of a more comprehensive international law order based on exceptional courage and integrity," adding, "She has played a core role in ensuring that war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide face judgment under the law."


Born in 1941 into an Indian Tamil family in Durban, South Africa, Pillay fought against deep-rooted structural discrimination, racial segregation, and exclusion while working as a lawyer.

Early in her legal career, she dedicated her efforts to protecting the human rights of political prisoners, including former President Nelson Mandela, who resisted apartheid, the white minority regime's policy of racial segregation and discrimination in the former South Africa.

She was subsequently appointed as a judge to the High Court of South Africa in 1995, and served as a judge at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda from 1999 to 2003, and at the International Criminal Court from 2003 to 2008.

From 2008 to 2014, she served as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

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 at the International Court of Justice in a case where Myanmar has been sued for alleged genocide.

The Nobel Committee noted that Pillay has demonstrated through historical international trials that legal action can help prevent war and violence.

The Nobel Committee emphasized, "Pillay has held states and national leaders accountable and brought hope to victims of violence and conflict," adding, "Based on her independence, professionalism, and unwavering conviction, she has established herself as one of the most respected international jurists of our time."

Nobel laureates receive a prize of 12 million Swedish kronor, approximately 1.61 billion Korean 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 Economics prize announcement on the 12th.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News) (Photo: Nobel Prize X capture, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.