3 July 2026 – The International Bar Association (IBA) has awarded the 2026 Outstanding Contribution by a Legal Practitioner to Human Rights Award to Mrs. Zar Li Aye, a Chin lawyer from Myanmar, in recognition of her work advancing human rights, justice, and the rule of law.
The award, announced on 29 June 2026, honors lawyers who have made exceptional contributions to human rights. It will be formally presented at the IBA Annual Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, from 4 to 9 October 2026.
Mrs. Zar Li Aye has spent more than a decade advocating for human rights, women’s rights, land rights, LGBTQ rights, and judicial reform in Myanmar.
According to the award committee, she has provided legal training, technical support, and advisory services to lawyers, civil society organizations, human rights defenders, trade union leaders, and community-based organizations on international human rights law, fair trial standards, and legal practice.
She currently serves as a legal adviser to the Solidarity of Trade Unions Myanmar (STUM) and works with the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ). She is also a co-founder of Justice for Women and a leading advocate with Lawyers for You.
Speaking to Khumiland News, Mrs. Zar Li Aye said she was honored to receive the award as a Myanmar lawyer and a Chin woman, adding that the recognition belongs to all lawyers in Myanmar who continue to uphold justice despite difficult circumstances.
“This award is not only for me, but also recognizes the courage and dedication of all lawyers in Myanmar who continue to stand for justice and the rule of law,” she said.
Mrs. Zar Li Aye previously received recognition as a Peace Ambassador of the European Commission in 2018 and was awarded the Charles Wallace Trust Fellowship at the University of Roehampton, United Kingdom, in 2023.
Founded in 1947, the IBA is one of the world’s largest legal organizations, representing lawyers and legal institutions from more than 170 countries and territories. Since around 2014, it has also supported legal reform and the development of the independent legal profession in Myanmar. – Reporting by Daniel
