The International Criminal Court said the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to former judge Navi Pillay highlighted the crucial role of international justice in achieving lasting peace.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday, October 9, welcomed the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to its former judge Navanethem “Navi” Pillay, a South African jurist of Indian origin and prominent human rights advocate.
The ICC said the honour underscored the importance of international justice in securing lasting peace. The Norwegian Nobel Committee recognised Pillay for her significant contribution to prosecuting war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
“This is an important recognition of the vital role that international justice plays as a cornerstone of lasting peace,” ICC President Tomoko Akane said, according to 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 Is Navi Pillay?
Pillay, 85, is a South African jurist whose career has spanned several decades across national courts, international tribunals and the United Nations (UN).
Born in 1941 into a Tamil family in Durban, South Africa, she grew up under the apartheid regime. The daughter of a bus driver, Pillay studied law at the University of Natal before obtaining a master’s degree and doctorate from Harvard University.
She became the first non-white woman to establish a law firm in Durban and represented people opposing apartheid. In 1973, she secured the right of political prisoners at Robben Island, including those imprisoned alongside Nelson Mandela, to access legal counsel.
From South African Courts To International Tribunals
In 1995, a year after South Africa held its first democratic elections, Pillay became the first woman of colour to be appointed to the country’s High Court.
Mandela later recommended her for a position at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. She was among the judges involved in a landmark 1998 case that recognised rape as an act of genocide.
Pillay also served as a judge at the ICC and subsequently held the position of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2008 to 2014.
During her tenure as the UN’s human rights chief, she strongly criticised government repression and discrimination. She also condemned crackdowns on popular protests in several Arab countries, including Libya and Syria.
Navi Pillay’s Role In Investigating The Gaza Conflict
Between 2021 and 2025, Pillay chaired a commission of inquiry established by the UN Human Rights Council to examine the underlying causes of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In 2025, she told AFP that the commission had concluded that genocide was taking place and continuing in Gaza, holding Israel responsible. Israel strongly rejected the commission’s findings.
The ICC also issued an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over alleged war crimes against Palestinians.
Pillay is also serving as an ad hoc judge at the International Court of Justice in a case involving allegations that Myanmar violated the 1948 Genocide Convention through its treatment of the Rohingya minority.
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What Is The International Criminal Court?
Established in 2002 under the Rome Statute, the ICC prosecutes individuals suspected of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression, subject to its jurisdiction.
The court currently has 125 member states and is investigating alleged crimes in several regions, including the Palestinian territories, Ukraine and parts of Africa.
However, the ICC has faced opposition from countries such as the United States, Russia and Israel. These countries are not members of the court and have challenged its jurisdiction in various cases.
