The former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Judge Navi Pillay, will receive the 2025 Sydney Peace Prize for what organisers described as her “lifetime of advocating for fundamental human rights, peace with justice and the rights of women.”
The South African jurist, who is of Tamil heritage, will accept the award at a ceremony in Sydney Town Hall on 6 November, where she will deliver the keynote Sydney Peace Prize lecture.
Pillay served as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2008 to 2014. As a former judge on both the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the International Criminal Court, she presided over landmark cases that advanced international jurisprudence on genocide and sexual violence in conflict.
Her tenure as High Commissioner included outspoken criticism of Sri Lanka’s human rights record during and after the island’s armed conflict. Her office oversaw investigations into the final phase of the armed conflict, which saw tens of thousands of Tamils massacred by the Sri Lankan state. Today, the mass atrocities against Tamils that Pillay repeatedly warned about are increasingly recognised internationally as acts of genocide.
Most recently, Pillay chaired the UN Commission of Inquiry into Israel’s actions in Gaza, which concluded that Israel had committed genocide.
Announcing the award, Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore, who will present the prize, praised Pillay’s “fearless defence of human rights” and her commitment to accountability.
“Sydney is honoured to recognise Judge Navi Pillay, whose fearless defence of human rights has given voice to the silenced and hope to the oppressed,” Moore said. “Peace depends on those willing to speak truth to power and requires accountability, courage and compassion—values our city proudly stands behind.”
Melanie Morrison, Director of the Sydney Peace Foundation, added: “This Prize acknowledges Judge Pillay’s courageous work to protect fundamental human rights and her tireless advocacy for accountability in the face of impunity for crimes against humanity. It also acknowledges her integrity, humanity and deep compassion—qualities so fundamental in the pursuit of peace with justice.”
Accepting the nomination, Pillay said:
“This award is not mine alone. It belongs to all those who, across decades and continents, have stood up against injustice—often at great personal cost. It belongs to every survivor who found the courage to testify, to every human rights defender who remains steadfast in the face of threats and hostility, and to every young person who dares to believe in a better, more just world.”
During her visit to Australia, Pillay will participate in a series of public and policy events, including a National Press Club address, meetings with members of parliament and civil society, and a gala dinner at the University of Sydney.
The Sydney Peace Prize, awarded annually by the Sydney Peace Foundation, is Australia’s foremost international peace award. Past laureates include Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Noam Chomsky, Joseph Stiglitz, Naomi Klein, Patrick Dodson, and the Uluru Statement from the Heart.