Navi Pillay

thumb|The biggest violators of human rights are states themselves, by commission or omission. Navi Pillay (née Naidoo; born 23 September 1941) is a South African jurist who served as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2008 to 2014. A South African of Indian Tamil origin, Pillay was the first non-white woman judge of the High Court of South Africa. She has also served as a judge of the International Criminal Court and President of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Quotes The biggest violators of human rights are states themselves, by commission or omission. Statement on "National Sovereignty vs. International Human Rights" at the University of Georgia School of Law (19 October 2016); also quoted in "Distinguished jurist Navi Pillay discusses state sovereignty and human rights" by Diane Marie Amann, IntLawGrrls (19 October 2016) From time immemorial, rape has been regarded as spoils of war. Now it will be considered a war crime. We want to send out a strong signal that rape is no longer a trophy of war. As quoted in South African History Online Everything is interconnected, the way society is structured and what adults say to you. It is such a struggle for children to overcome these barriers. As quoted in "An interview with Navi Pillay", by Rebecca Omonira-Oyekanmi, Lacuna.org (1 November 2016) Throughout my life I found myself doing many things that were done for the first time … But in South Africa we had an opportunity, a new democracy to make that change. As quoted in "An interview with Navi Pillay", by Rebecca Omonira-Oyekanmi, Lacuna.org (1 November 2016) There is so much tension and anxiety over the continued existence of international courts, mainly the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Most importantly, sanctions have been announced by one country against the judges, just for the judicial orders they issue. This is unheard of, unacceptable. As quoted in "Nobel peace laureate says US sanctions on ICC 'unacceptable'", BBC News (10 October 2026) Quotes about Pillay The Nobel Peace Prize for 2026 goes to a person who with exceptional courage and integrity has led the way towards a more comprehensive global legal order. This year's Laureate has been instrumental in ensuring that war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide are prosecuted. The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2026 to Navanethem "Navi" Pillay for her efforts to promote peace and international law. Navi Pillay's commitment to universal legal principles and her firm moral compass are constants in a long career. Norwegian Nobel Committee announcement for the Nobel Peace Prize of 2026 (9 October 2026) · Video of the announcement, and of an interview with Jørgen Watne Frydnes, Chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee (9 October 2026) External links Navanethem Pillay https://www.navipillay.com/ Category:Nobel Peace Prize laureates Category:Women from South Africa Category:Lawyers from South Africa Category:Women in law Category:Anti-apartheid activists Category:Women's rights activists Category:Women activists Category:African National Congress politicians Category:People from Durban Category:1941 births Category:Living people