The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, wishes to support its alumnus, Professor Anthony Chima Diala on his recent recommendation to the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent by the United Nations Consultative Group on the mandate on 22 January 2021. Professor Diala is one of the two candidates put forward by the Consultative Group out of 10 initially selected candidates.
The election will take place during the 46th session of the Human Rights Council, between 22 February and 23 March 2021.
Professor Diala is an associate professor and the Director, Centre for Legal Integration in Africa, at the University of Western Cape. His work experience has spanned teaching at various universities and also human rights institutions in Africa and beyond. He has worked with organisations in Sweden, South Africa, the Netherlands, Rwanda, Nigeria and many more. His research focus is on legal anthropology, legal pluralism and the interplay of African customary law and state law. He has a firm grasp on these issues especially on how they improve the prospects of people of African descent.
Some of his publications include: ‘Curriculum decolonisation and revisionist pedagogy of African customary law’ (2020) Potchefstroom Electronic Law Journal; ‘Introduction to special issue – The role of customary law in the shaping of new models of pluralistic states’ (2019) Revista General de Derecho Público Comparado; ‘The protection of traditional cultural expressions in Africa’ (2017) Journal of Comparative Law in Africa and many others.
Professor Diala trained as a lawyer in Nigeria at the Enugu State University of Technology and the Nigerian Law School before earning a Master’s degree at the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria. He also has a PhD from the University of Cape Town.
If appointed as a member of the Working Group, we strongly believe that he will bring his wealth of experience, commitment and excellence to bear on various issues that affect people of African descent especially as it concerns the mandate of the Group.
We will be very grateful if this statement can be shared widely to support his candidacy.
For more information, please contact:
Expression, Information & Digital Rights Unit
Tel: +27 (0) 12 420 4397
Fax: +27 (0) 86 580 5743
oluwatomiwa.ilori@up.ac.za