South African-born jurist and former U.N. human rights chief Navanethem “Navi” Pillay sits at the Nuremberg Forum, Germany, on October 9, 2026, following the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize announcement.
| Photo Credit: AP
Congratulatory messages have poured in from across the world for Navanethem “Navi” Pillay, the former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights of Tamil and South African heritage, who won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday (October 9, 2026). The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced the decision to award the Nobel Peace Prize to Ms. Pillay, noting that she has been “instrumental in ensuring that war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide are prosecuted.”
In an impromptu speech at the Nuremberg Tribunal, where she was informed of the prize, Ms. Pillay thanked her colleagues who supported her work through the years. Later, at a press conference, she said, “I am deeply honoured and grateful to have been awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize. Let me dedicate this award to all the survivors of international crimes, as well as to practitioners and defenders of international justice, whose compassion and courage continue to ensure that impunity will not be allowed to reign.” Ms. Pillay, 85, noted increasing attacks on the international justice system and called for accountability for crimes against humanity.
Ms. Pillay noted her journey as a lawyer in the High Court of South Africa, where she campaigned against apartheid-era discrimination, her work for justice in the Rwandan genocide of 1994, and her most recent work at the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem and Israel. She said she has always tried to “advance and protect the dignity of every human being.”
In its announcement, the Norwegian Nobel Peace Prize Committee said, “The Nobel Peace Prize for 2026 goes to a person who, with exceptional courage and integrity, has led the way toward a more comprehensive global legal order. This year’s laureate has been instrumental in ensuring that war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide are prosecuted.” The Nobel Prize Committee noted that Ms. Pillay, who was born into a family of Indian Tamil origin in apartheid-era Durban, South Africa, became a “legal pioneer” who confronted “deep structural discrimination, segregation, and exclusion.”
“A common thread runs from her early work defending Nelson Mandela and others who stood up against apartheid to her service as a judge in some of the key international court cases of our time,” said the Nobel committee in the announcement.
In a message, Agnes Calamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International, said, “There is no better choice than Navi Pillay.”
“She has headed the commission of inquiry which found that Israel committed the crime of genocide at the time when many States are trying to defend and protect Israel’s actions. She has defended human rights, at a time when States are seeking to hollow out their rights commitments,” said Ms. Calamard, praising the Norwegian Nobel Committee’s decision to award the Nobel Peace Prize to Ms. Pillay.
“It’s a well-deserved tribute not just for Navi Pillay but also for the international rule of law and for all the UN-related institutions that she has been associated with, because this award is not just for the individual but also for the institutions and the ideals that the UN and its affiliated institutions represent,” said Kamal Malhotra, Head of the United Nations in Malaysia, Vietnam and Turkey (2008-2021).
Published – October 09, 2026 10:41 pm IST
