GWL Voices Member Navi Pillay Awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize

GWL Voices congratulates its member Navi Pillay on receiving the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, in recognition of her longstanding contributions to human rights, international justice and the rule of law. According to the Nobel Committee, her work has helped promote peace and strengthen accountability under international law.

A distinguished South African jurist, Pillay served as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2008 to 2014. She was the first non-white woman to serve as a judge of South Africa’s High Court and went on to serve as a judge of the International Criminal Court and President of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.

Pillay has also chaired the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory and serves as an ad hoc judge of the International Court of Justice in the case of The Gambia v. Myanmar. She is currently President of the International Commission Against the Death Penalty.

Her career reflects decades of work in international law and human rights, including a commitment to strengthening legal institutions and advancing accountability.

GWL Voices celebrates this recognition of Navi Pillay’s contributions to international justice and human rights.