South African jurist of Indian-Tamil origin Navanethem “Navi” Pillay has won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to promote peace and international law, capping a career spanning the anti-apartheid struggle, international criminal justice and human rights advocacy.The Norwegian Nobel Committee honoured the former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights for her contribution to strengthening international law and ensuring accountability for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.Born in Durban in 1941 to a family of Indian-Tamil descent, Pillay grew up under apartheid, which enforced racial segregation and discrimination against non-white South Africans.She established her own law firm in 1967 and represented anti-apartheid activists, challenging restrictions on political prisoners, including Nelson Mandela and other detainees on Robben Island.In 1995, she became the first woman of colour appointed to South Africa’s High Court.Pillay gained international prominence as a judge and later president of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, serving from 1999 to 2003. Her work contributed to landmark legal precedents recognising rape and sexual violence as possible acts of genocide and crimes against humanity.She subsequently served as a judge at the International Criminal Court from 2003 to 2008 before becoming the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, a position she held until 2014.Pillay also chaired the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory from 2021 to 2025. The commission concluded in 2025 that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, a finding Israel strongly rejected.She is also an ad hoc judge at the International Court of Justice in the case brought by The Gambia against Myanmar over alleged genocide against the Rohingya.The award recognises Pillay’s decades-long efforts to advance accountability and uphold international law, from challenging racial discrimination under apartheid to addressing some of the gravest crimes under international justice.