South African jurist Navanethem “Navi” Pillay has won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to promote peace and international law.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced the award on Friday, 9 October, recognising Pillay’s role in holding states and national leaders accountable and advancing the prosecution of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

The committee praised the 85-year-old’s courage, integrity and commitment to universal legal principles, saying her work had brought hope to victims of violence and conflict.

Born in Durban in 1941 to a family of Indian Tamil origin, Pillay grew up under apartheid and went on to become a pioneering lawyer and judge.

She studied law at the University of Natal before opening her own law practice in 1967, becoming the first non-white woman to do so in Natal.

During her legal career in South Africa, she defended anti-apartheid activists and political detainees, helping expose torture and poor prison conditions. She also successfully fought for political prisoners on Robben Island, including Nelson Mandela, to have access to lawyers.

In 1995, Pillay became the first non-white woman to serve as a judge on South Africa’s High Court.

She subsequently served on the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, where she played a significant role in a landmark case that established that rape and sexual violence could constitute acts of genocide and crimes against humanity.

The tribunal’s findings marked a major development in international law. Pillay also contributed to legal proceedings addressing the use of propaganda to incite genocide.

Her international career included serving as a judge at the International Criminal Court and as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2008 to 2014.

Until November 2025, she chaired the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The commission concluded in September 2025 that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, a finding Israel has rejected.

Pillay also serves as an ad hoc judge at the International Court of Justice in the case brought by The Gambia against Myanmar over alleged genocide against the Rohingya people.

In announcing the award, the Nobel Committee highlighted Pillay’s contribution to strengthening international legal institutions at a time when the rules-based international order faces growing pressure.

The committee warned that the global system of international law is under strain, with legal institutions and judges facing increasing attacks and a shift towards power politics threatening peaceful coexistence.

It stressed that lasting peace must be built on legal principles rather than the will of the powerful.

The committee said Pillay’s distinguished career demonstrated the importance of defending and strengthening the global rule of law.

The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded annually in accordance with the will of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, who established the awards to recognise contributions to humanity.

5 Nobel Peace Prizes have been awarded to South Africans

The South African Nobel Peace Prize laureates are:

• Albert Luthuli (1960) – Awarded for his non-violent struggle against apartheid.
• Desmond Tutu (1984) – Awarded for his role as a unifying leader in the non-violent campaign to resolve the problem of apartheid.
• Nelson Mandela (1993) – Awarded jointly with F.W. de Klerk for their work in peacefully dismantling the apartheid regime.
• F.W. de Klerk (1993) – Awarded jointly with Nelson Mandela for their work in peacefully ending apartheid.
• Navi Pillay (2026) – Awarded for her efforts to promote peace, international law, and the prosecution of war crimes and genocide.