Nobel Peace Prize 2026 goes to Navi Pillay, South African lawyer who helped establish rape as an act of genocide

South African human rights lawyer Navi Pillay has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for her extensive contributions to international law and justice, notably establishing rape as an act of genocide.

Her distinguished career spans defending anti-apartheid activists, serving as a judge in international courts, and leading as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Pillay's work has significantly advanced legal protections for victims of wartime sexual violence and reinforced global human rights accountability, underscoring her lifelong dedication to defending fundamental rights worldwide.

OSLO, Oct 9 — South African human rights lawyer Navi Pillay, who challenged apartheid before helping establish rape as an act of genocide under international law, has won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced the award today, recognising the 85-year-old former United Nations human rights chief for her decades of work defending fundamental rights and advancing international justice.

Pillay, whose full name is Navanethem Pillay, was honoured for her contributions to international law, justice and accountability for some of the world’s gravest crimes.

Her career has taken her from defending anti-apartheid activists in South Africa to serving as a judge in international courts dealing with genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Born in 1941 into a family of Indian descent in Durban, South Africa, Pillay grew up under apartheid, the system of institutionalised racial segregation that denied the country’s non-white population basic rights.

In 1967, she became the first woman to establish a law practice in South Africa’s Natal province, defending anti-apartheid activists and challenging discriminatory conditions in the country’s prisons.

She later became South Africa’s first black woman High Court judge, marking another milestone in a legal career that would extend well beyond her home country.

Following the end of apartheid, Pillay served as a judge at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, established to prosecute those responsible for the 1994 genocide.

There, she helped establish landmark legal precedents recognising that rape and sexual violence could constitute genocide under international law.

The precedent marked a significant development in the prosecution of wartime sexual violence, strengthening international legal protections for victims.

Pillay subsequently served as a judge at the International Criminal Court before becoming UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in 2008, a position she held until 2014.

In that role, she spoke out against human rights abuses and pressed governments to uphold their obligations under international law.

More recently, Pillay chaired a UN commission investigating alleged human rights violations in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, placing her once again at the centre of international scrutiny over accountability and the protection of civilians.

The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded annually to individuals or organisations recognised for their contributions to peace.

This year’s award carries prize money of 12 million Swedish kronor, an increase of one million kronor from last year.

Pillay succeeds Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, who won the 2025 prize for her efforts to promote democratic rights in Venezuela.

The award will be formally presented in Oslo on December 10, the anniversary of the death of Alfred Nobel, the Swedish inventor and philanthropist who established the prizes.

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南非人权律师纳维·皮莱因其对国际法和正义的广泛贡献，特别是确立强奸是一种种族灭绝行为，而被授予 2026 年诺贝尔和平奖。

她杰出的职业生涯包括为反种族隔离活动人士辩护、担任国际法庭法官以及担任联合国人权事务高级专员。

皮莱的工作极大地推进了对战争时期性暴力受害者的法律保护，并加强了全球人权问责制，凸显了她毕生致力于捍卫世界各地基本权利的决心。

奥斯陆，10 月 9 日——南非人权律师纳维·皮莱 (Navi Pillay) 荣获 2026 年诺贝尔和平奖。她曾挑战种族隔离制度，并帮助确立强奸在国际法下构成种族灭绝罪。

挪威诺贝尔委员会今天宣布授予这位85岁的前联合国人权事务高级专员这一奖项，以表彰她数十年来为捍卫基本权利和推进国际正义所做出的贡献。

皮莱（全名纳瓦内特姆·皮莱）因其对国际法、正义和追究世界上一些最严重罪行的责任所作出的贡献而受到表彰。

她的职业生涯从为南非的反种族隔离活动人士辩护，到在处理种族灭绝、战争罪和反人类罪的国际法庭担任法官。

皮莱于 1941 年出生于南非德班的一个印度裔家庭，他在种族隔离制度下长大。种族隔离制度是一种制度化的种族隔离制度，剥夺了该国非白人人口的基本权利。

1967 年，她成为南非纳塔尔省第一位开设律师事务所的女性，为反种族隔离活动人士辩护，并挑战该国监狱中的歧视性条件。

后来，她成为南非第一位黑人女性高等法院法官，这标志着她法律生涯的又一个里程碑，她的影响力远远超出了她的祖国。

种族隔离制度结束后，皮莱在卢旺达问题国际刑事法庭担任法官，该法庭的设立是为了起诉对 1994 年种族灭绝负有责任的人。

在那里，她帮助确立了具有里程碑意义的法律先例，承认强奸和性暴力可能构成国际法意义上的种族灭绝。

这一先例标志着对战时性暴力行为的起诉取得了重大进展，加强了对受害者的国际法律保护。

皮莱随后担任国际刑事法院法官，之后于 2008 年成为联合国人权事务高级专员，并一直担任该职位至 2014 年。

在担任该职务期间，她公开谴责侵犯人权的行为，并敦促各国政府履行其在国际法下的义务。

最近，皮莱担任联合国委员会主席，调查以色列和被占领的巴勒斯坦领土上涉嫌侵犯人权的行为，这使她再次成为国际社会关注问责制和保护平民问题的焦点。

诺贝尔和平奖每年颁发给为和平做出贡献的个人或组织。

今年的奖金为 1200 万瑞典克朗，比去年增加了 100 万克朗。

皮莱接替了委内瑞拉反对派领导人玛丽亚·科琳娜·马查多，后者因其在委内瑞拉促进民主权利的努力而获得了 2025 年的诺贝尔和平奖。

该奖项将于 12 月 10 日在奥斯陆正式颁发，这一天是瑞典发明家和慈善家阿尔弗雷德·诺贝尔的忌日，他​​正是诺贝尔奖的设立者。

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