Navy Pele retires after decades of defending human rights and seeking justice

Her journey began away from the corridors of the United Nations in a humble family – of Indian origins – in South Africa during the apartheid era.

In an exclusive interview with UN News, Ms. Pele said: “We grew up very poor. My father was a bus driver, and we were seven children. I tell this story because most people assume that in my country, if you are Indian, you are better off than Africans. We were all poor, and we were struggling together.”

The beginning of her legal career

Pele was the first non-white woman to open her own law firm in South Africa during the apartheid era, where she defended human rights activists and political prisoners deprived of their basic legal rights.

She said that her experiences in those years made her a firm believer in the power of collective action to stop injustice, just as it was done “The whole world” Collective actions to end apartheid in her country.

added: “I never thought apartheid would end in my lifetime. So what happened? We had collective support from all over the world, even children. If we can achieve this, we can have a better system for protecting human rights.”

Accountability in Rwanda

Her experience fighting apartheid shaped her belief in international solidarity – a faith she carried with her into her position as a judge at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, where she helped establish new legal precedents in the fight against genocide and gender-based violence.

She recalled that experience, saying: “Working at the Rwanda Tribunal was very difficult, it was a rural area. When we first went, there was no bank, no big store, no postal addresses. I complained over and over again about that, until I started listening to witnesses. I asked myself, ‘What am I complaining about when they have gone through all this suffering?’”

At the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, Pele presided over landmark cases, including the first case in international law to recognize rape as an act of genocide. Her work there contributed to redefining global understanding of accountability and justice for victims of mass atrocities.

Institutions that live up to expectations

Her success in Rwanda led to her appointment as a judge at the International Criminal Court, and then in 2008 she was appointed UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. In Geneva, I continued to support civil society engagement and the voices of victims in shaping global human rights standards.

Ms. Pele explained that when the United Nations was founded, “It was just a club of nations,” She stressed that all our efforts today to protect human rights, and all institutions, including the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, “It was not achieved simply because countries woke up one day and said: We must make more efforts to protect human rights.”

She stressed that these gains “Coming from civil society pressure, that’s why I value these institutions, and I feel a responsibility to make them work in line with people’s expectations.”

Pele told UN News that as High Commissioner she often felt frustrated by the work of the UN’s most powerful body: the UN Security Council.

She said: “The veto power in the Security Council is very frustrating. Its job is to ensure peace, yet conflicts and killings happen without any intervention. It is a flawed system, but it is still the best we have today.”

“Genocide in Gaza”

Pele continued to confront difficult issues in her last position as chair of the independent international commission of inquiry into the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel.

She said that the statements made by senior Israeli politicians in the context of the events in Gaza “Amounts to incitement to genocide,” Noting that the committee has detailed serious violations in the sector and called for accountability at the highest levels.

The committee concluded that Israel is responsible for committing 4 acts of genocide in Gaza “With the specific intent to destroy the Palestinians in Gaza,” The Israeli president, prime minister, and former defense minister incited genocide.

Ms. Pele has faced criticism from some governments and political figures who have accused her of bias – accusations she has consistently rejected. Regarding this, she told UN News: “I would prefer our critics to tell us what piece of evidence [التي وثقتها اللجنة] Liar, and why?

She indicated that much of the information provided by the committee was obtained “From people inside Israel,” She called on critics to engage with the evidence rather than question its motives.

Navi Pele’s career marked a milestone in the global struggle for universal human rights, from her fight against apartheid to her defense of civilians in conflict zones.

In every chapter of her career, she has never hesitated to speak truth to power, championing the principle that human rights belong to everyone, everywhere.