UN Secretary-General António Guterres has congratulated South African jurist Navi Pillay on receiving the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, praising her decades-long commitment to international law, human rights and accountability.

Guterres described Pillay as a steadfast and independent voice for justice, highlighting her work against apartheid in South Africa, her role in international criminal tribunals and her leadership of the UN Commission of Inquiry on the occupied Palestinian territory, which concluded that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza.

He stressed that Pillay’s career demonstrates that the rule of law must prevail over the use of force.