Former UN human rights chief Navi Pillay was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize

He was awarded “for his efforts to promote peace and international law”, the Norwegian Nobel Committee said in a statement.

The committee said the award was given to “a person of extraordinary courage and integrity who has led the way towards a more comprehensive global legal order,” and stated that he “has plays an important role in ensuring that war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide are prosecuted.”

Fighting hatred, defending civilians

Miss Pillay served as UN Human Rights Chair from September 2008 to August 2014but his career has spanned more than 50 years – from fighting apartheid in his homeland to defending civilians in conflict zones.

He is a former chairman UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry into the Occupied Palestinian Territories and was appointed as a judge at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) and International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, in addition to serving as ad hoc judge with International Court of Justice (ICJ), the UN’s highest court.

“The thread runs from his early work defending Nelson Mandela and others who opposed apartheid to his service as a judge in some of the most important international court cases of our time.”said the Nobel Committee.

An ‘independent voice of justice’: Guterres

In the a statement congratulates the new Nobel laureate, PBB Secretary General Antonio Guterres said Ms. Pillay has shown “that the force of law must prevail over coercive laws and that the defense of human rights is the surest safeguard against injustice.”

He praised him as “a champion of international law and human rights, as well as an independent and steadfast voice of justice,” adding that “in its citation, the Nobel Committee reminded the world that peace must be built on eternal principles, not the whims of those in power.”

A lifelong defender of human rights

Navanethem “Navi” Pillay was born in South Africa in 1941 to a Tamil Indian family and was the first non-white woman to practice law in the country.

As a lawyer, he acted as a defense attorney for anti-apartheid activists, exposed torture, and helped establish important rights for prisoners on the notorious Robben Island.

In his role as chairman of the Independent International Commission appointed by the UN Human Rights Councilhe oversaw a 2025 report that said Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip constituted genocide.

Listen again to our interview with Ms Pillay about the commission’s report:

Human Rights reaffirmed: Türk

On receiving news of Pillay’s honor, the current UN human rights chief, Volker Türk, warmly congratulated the woman he described as his older sister.

“To say that this is worth doing is an understatement, especially at a time when human rights are under attack on many fronts.including from those who have great power, this award is very sad,” he said, speaking in Geneva.

“This is a tribute to all the people around the world who dedicate their lives to defending human rights, often at great risk to their security.”

Moreover, it is “a recognition, a reaffirmation, that human rights, the rule of law and justice and accountability are fundamental to everything – to peace, security and prosperity,” he added.

Belief in international solidarity

In an October 2025 interview with UN News in Geneva, Ms Pillay reflected on her lifelong struggle for human rights, justice and equality.

“I didn’t think apartheid would end in my lifetime,” he recalled. “So what happens? We have the collective support of people all over the world, even children. If we can achieve that, we can have a better system of human rights protection.”

His experience in the anti-apartheid struggle shaped his belief in international solidarity, which he brought to his role as judge and president of the ITCR, which tried those responsible for the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.

During her eight years there, she helped establish groundbreaking legal precedent in the fight against genocide and gender-based violence.

As UN human rights chief, Ms Pillay continues to champion civil society participation and victims’ voices in shaping global human rights standards.

“When the UN started, it was just a club for Americans,” he said UN News. “Everything we have today for human rights protection didn’t happen just because America one day woke up. It came from pressure from civil society. That’s why I respect these institutions.”