A career from post-apartheid South Africa to the United Nations

The Navi Pillay peace prize announcement prompted a discussion hosted by France24's Haxie Meyers-Belkin, who welcomed Rosa Freedman, Professor of Law Conflict and Global Development at the University of Reading. Freedman assessed the award through the lens of international law and human rights, pointing to the breadth of Pillay's record - from a pioneering role in post-apartheid South Africa to her work at the United Nations - as a remarkable contribution.

Questions of political impartiality

Freedman's assessment focused on how the decision lands now. Pillay's legacy, she said, raises difficult questions about political impartiality, particularly in relation to Israel and Gaza. She argued that the significance of Pillay's lifelong achievements should be distinguished from the controversy surrounding the decision to award her the Peace Prize at this particular moment.

Merit or political messaging?

Freedman framed the debate around what the award is actually for:

• •whether the prize is recognising individual merit
• •or increasingly serving as a vehicle for political messaging

Scrutiny without undermining the principles

With international law and multilateral institutions under mounting pressure and facing serious threats, Freedman said, "the challenge is to scrutinise their shortcomings without undermining the principles they exist to uphold".