Fight for international law, justice and accountability: Why Navi Pillay won Nobel Peace Prize 2026

Navanethem 'Navi' Pillay has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for being one of the great defenders of international legal principles. She is well known for holding states and national leaders accountable and bringing hope to victims of violence and conflict.

Pillay is a lawyer and a jurist in the International Court of Justice. Her career highlights the need to support, fortify and expand the global rule of law. Her commitment to justice and human dignity inspires those striving to build a more peaceful world.

Pillay belongs to Indian Tamil origin

Pillay was born in the apartheid-era in South Africa’s Durban to a family of Indian Tamil origin. In an impressive career, she has served on South Africa’s high court, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, and the International Criminal Court. Apart from this, she was also the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. She has even led the UN commission of inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

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Among Pillay’s most notable works, she has contributed in landmark decisions that established how rape and sexual violence can constitute genocide and crimes against humanity.

International Criminal Court hails Nobel Peace Prize for Navi Pillay

The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday welcomed the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to its former judge. The honour showed the importance of international justice in securing lasting peace, the ICC said.

“This is an important recognition of the vital role that international justice plays as a cornerstone of lasting peace,” ICC President Tomoko Akane said, as per AFP. “At a time of profound challenges to the international legal order and the rule of law, this recognition carries particular significance,” she added.

Who was the winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize?

Maria Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader, was awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize. She made sustained efforts to shift from dictatorship to democracy in her country.

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Machado was stopped from running in Venezuela's 2024 presidential election despite her victory in the opposition primary. She then extended her support to Edmundo González Urrutia. Records published by González’s supporters stated that he had won against President Nicolás Maduro, whose government, however, declared itself victorious and continued repression of political opponents. Machado entered Venezuela's National Assembly in 2010 but was stripped from the position in 2014.