The Sydney Peace Foundation is honoured to announce that eminent international jurist Dr Navi Pillay, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and eminent international jurist, will receive the 2025 Sydney Peace Prize for a lifetime of advocating for accountability and responsibility in the face of crimes against humanity.
On accepting the prize, Judge Pillay said: “I am deeply honoured to accept Australia’s premier international prize for peace, awarded by the Sydney Peace Foundation. 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. The path ahead is neither easy nor short, but it is a path we must walk together- with integrity, with compassion, and with determination.”
City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said: “In a world where human rights are too often disregarded and justice delayed, Navi Pillay stands as a fearless defender of the rule of law. …Sydney Peace Prize honours her unwavering commitment to human dignity and her profound impact on international human rights law. As victims of wars across the globe continue face intolerable suffering, it is hard to remain optimistic and to believe that the rule of law will triumph. This award, and Navi’s extraordinary lifelong contribution to peace, remind us that we all have a responsibility to speak up about violations to human rights, corruption, repression, discrimination and inequality and that when we do, we can shape a better world.”
The Sydney Peace Prize will be formally awarded to Dr Pillay later in November 2025. She will travel to Australia to accept the Prize on Thursday 6 November at Sydney Town Hall. Please save the date.