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The Global Campus of Human Rights has released a new publication highlighting how children and young people across multiple regions are shaping human rights work through the Global Campus Child Leadership Team (CLT) and Youth Advisory Group (YAG).
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25 May 2026
The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, expresses grave concern over recent reports of xenophobic violence, intimidation, harassment, and vigilante conduct targeting foreign nationals in South Africa, including refugees, asylum seekers, migrants, and other non-nationals.
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The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria is organising a colloquium on climate change and SRHR in Africa. It will be held on 12-13 November 2026 in Pretoria, South Africa. The colloquium will be in a hybrid format (in-person and virtual participation). It will bring together scholars, researchers, practitioners and experts from the African region for a rich scholarly discussion on linking climate change and SRHR. Accepted papers will be presented at the colloquium and subsequently published in an accredited journal.
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On the 16th of May 2026, the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria hosted a pivotal workshop on Child Participation and Leadership in Thohoyandou, South Africa. The Workshop was the 5th in a series of regional events, with similar programs having been launched in Kenya, Malawi,Zambia, and Lesotho. The event empowered young minds to actively shape policy, leadership, and human rights advocacy.
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This year the Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) will be observed on the 21st May 2026. Every year on the third Thursday of May, GAAD invites people around the world to reflect on digital access and inclusion for people with disabilities. There are more than one billion people with disabilities worldwide. GAAD serves as a call to action for developers, business, educators, and governments to actively build a more inclusive digital environment.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, has expressed grave concern over the growing practice of third-country deportations to African states by the United States, warning that these arrangements pose significant threats to the rights and dignity of migrants and asylum seekers.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria cordially invites you to a webinar series on ‘Dialogue on Poverty and Human Rights’. We are honoured to have Prof David Bilchitz as the first keynote speaker in this webinar series.
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The Human Dignity Trust (‘the Trust’) is a legal charity based in London, UK that supports local lawyers and human rights defenders to uphold human rights and constitutional law in countries where private, consensual sexual conduct between people of the same sex is criminalised. At present, 65 jurisdictions worldwide maintain these criminal laws.
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The South African Research Chair of International Constitutional Law and the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria, in collaboration with the University of Ghent, hosted the Evidence Matters Conference from 11 to 13 May 2026, to draw attention and analyse the critical role of evidence in regional human rights adjudication. While the Conference considered all three established regional human rights systems, its focus fell on the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights. The event also served as an event marking 20 years since the Court started operating in 2006.
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The Expression, Information and Digital Rights Unit of the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, hosted a landmark session on access to information and elections and contributed to two other critical sessions at the 2026 Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum (DRIF26) held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire from 14th to 16th May organised by Paradigm Initiative. On Wednesday, 15 April 2026, the Centre convened an interactive session titled “Access to Information, Elections and Digital Resilience in Africa.” Drawing on the ACHPR’s 2017 Guidelines on Access to Information and Elections, the different country assessment reports by the Centre examine compliance with proactive disclosure obligations, the use of digital technologies, disinformation trends and barriers to access to information during recent elections. Key findings reveal that while some progress has been made, electoral management bodies, political parties, and law enforcement agencies continue to fall short of full compliance. The session offered comparative lessons for building resilient, inclusive, and transparent information ecosystems as a foundation for democratic participation across Africa.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria (the Centre), in partnership with Rawadari, are pleased to invite you to a Panel Discussion on Enhancing Accountability for Gender Persecution: A Reflection on Africa’s Conceptualisation of Gender Persecution During Conflict and the Work of the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal for Women in Afghanistan.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria cordially invites you to a dialogue on coalition politics and youth's engagement on electoral process in South Africa. The dialogue is set to take place on 2 June 2026 in the Mootcourt, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria from 10:00 – 12:00.
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18th Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition
| Courts A–D: English | Court E: French & Spanish | ||||||||||||
| Morning: Sessions 1&2 (09:00–12:00 SAST) | Afternoon: Sessions 3&4 (13:15–16:00 SAST) | ||||||||||||
| Court | Time (SAST) | Mon 18 May | Tue 19 May | Wed 20 May | Thu 21 May | Fri 22 May | Sat 23 May | |||||
| Court A | Sess 1 09:00–10:30 |
41 ▶ 14 | 19 ▶ 27 | 15 ▶ 17 | 43 ▶ 20 | 16 ▶ 18 | ||||||
| Sess 2 10:45–12:00 |
10 ▶ 28 | 26 ▶ 23 | 37 ▶ 39 | 7 ▶ 2 | 24 ▶ 29 | 33 ▶ 32 | ||||||
| LUNCH | ||||||||||||
| Sess 3 13:15–14:30 |
4 ▶ 41 | 3 ▶ 8 | 9 ▶ 6 | 30 ▶ 40 | 34 ▶ 36 | 24 ▶ 38 | ||||||
| Sess 4 14:45–16:00 |
44 ▶ 35 | 5 ▶ 42 | 31 ▶ 1 | 11 ▶ 12 | 38 ▶ 25 | 35 ▶ 12 | ||||||
| Court B | Sess 1 09:00–10:30 |
17 ▶ 18 | 15 ▶ 16 | 23 ▶ 28 | 32 ▶ 5 | 20 ▶ 22 | ||||||
| Sess 2 10:45–12:00 |
25 ▶ 26 | 36 ▶ 38 | 14 ▶ 44 | 27 ▶ 13 | 1 ▶ 6 | 8 ▶ 7 | ||||||
| LUNCH | ||||||||||||
| Sess 3 13:15–14:30 |
17 ▶ 14 | 11 ▶ 40 | 10 ▶ 41 | 3 ▶ 33 | 42 ▶ 31 | 4 ▶ 30 | ||||||
| Sess 4 14:45–16:00 |
19 ▶ 21 | 29 ▶ 37 | 34 ▶ 2 | 39 ▶ 24 | 44 ▶ 7 | |||||||
| Court C | Sess 1 09:00–10:30 |
6 ▶ 23 | 25 ▶ 27 | 20 ▶ 21 | 18 ▶ 19 | 13 ▶ 15 | 12 ▶ 36 | |||||
| Sess 2 10:45–12:00 |
1 ▶ 44 | 28 ▶ 43 | 33 ▶ 16 | 42 ▶ 10 | 35 ▶ 11 | |||||||
| LUNCH | ||||||||||||
| Sess 3 13:15–14:30 |
22 ▶ 24 | 39 ▶ 31 | 21 ▶ 22 | 5 ▶ 4 | 41 ▶ 8 | |||||||
| Sess 4 14:45–16:00 |
2 ▶ 37 | 28 ▶ 34 | 40 ▶ 3 | 38 ▶ 29 | 30 ▶ 32 | |||||||
| Court D | Sess 1 09:00–10:30 |
32 ▶ 13 | 8 ▶ 5 | 18 ▶ 15 | 14 ▶ 20 | 23 ▶ 3 | 27 ▶ 17 | |||||
| Sess 2 10:45–12:00 |
36 ▶ 30 | 2 ▶ 39 | 13 ▶ 10 | 21 ▶ 1 | 22 ▶ 19 | 40 ▶ 42 | ||||||
| LUNCH | ||||||||||||
| Sess 3 13:15–14:30 |
6 ▶ 11 | 16 ▶ 4 | 12 ▶ 43 | 43 ▶ 9 | 26 ▶ 33 | |||||||
| Sess 4 14:45–16:00 |
9 ▶ 34 | 7 ▶ 26 | 29 ▶ 25 | 31 ▶ 35 | 37 ▶ 9 | |||||||
| Court E (FR/ES) |
Sess 1 09:00–10:30 |
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| Sess 2 10:45–12:00 |
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| LUNCH | ||||||||||||
| Sess 3 13:15–14:30 |
1F ▶ 2F | 1S ▶ 2S | 2S ▶ 3S | 3S ▶ 4S | 4S ▶ 1S | |||||||
| Sess 4 14:45–16:00 |
2F ▶ 1F | 1S ▶ 3S | 2S ▶ 4S | 3S ▶ 1S | 4S ▶ 2S | |||||||
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| Courts A–D: English | Court E: French & Spanish | ||||||||||||
| Morning: Sessions 1&2 (09:00–12:00 SAST) | Afternoon: Sessions 3&4 (13:15–16:00 SAST) | ||||||||||||
| Court | Time (SAST) | Mon 18 May | Tue 19 May | Wed 20 May | Thu 21 May | Fri 22 May | Sat 23 May | |||||
| Court A | Sess 1 09:00–10:30 |
41 ▶ 14 | 19 ▶ 27 | 15 ▶ 17 | 43 ▶ 20 | 16 ▶ 18 | ||||||
| Sess 2 10:45–12:00 |
10 ▶ 28 | 26 ▶ 23 | 37 ▶ 39 | 7 ▶ 2 | 24 ▶ 29 | 33 ▶ 32 | ||||||
| LUNCH | ||||||||||||
| Sess 3 13:15–14:30 |
4 ▶ 41 | 3 ▶ 8 | 9 ▶ 6 | 30 ▶ 40 | 34 ▶ 36 | 24 ▶ 38 | ||||||
| Sess 4 14:45–16:00 |
44 ▶ 35 | 5 ▶ 42 | 31 ▶ 1 | 11 ▶ 12 | 38 ▶ 25 | 35 ▶ 12 | ||||||
| Court B | Sess 1 09:00–10:30 |
17 ▶ 18 | 15 ▶ 16 | 23 ▶ 28 | 32 ▶ 5 | 20 ▶ 22 | ||||||
| Sess 2 10:45–12:00 |
25 ▶ 26 | 36 ▶ 38 | 14 ▶ 44 | 27 ▶ 13 | 1 ▶ 6 | 8 ▶ 7 | ||||||
| LUNCH | ||||||||||||
| Sess 3 13:15–14:30 |
17 ▶ 14 | 11 ▶ 40 | 10 ▶ 41 | 3 ▶ 33 | 42 ▶ 31 | 4 ▶ 30 | ||||||
| Sess 4 14:45–16:00 |
19 ▶ 21 | 29 ▶ 37 | 34 ▶ 2 | 39 ▶ 24 | 44 ▶ 7 | |||||||
| Court C | Sess 1 09:00–10:30 |
6 ▶ 23 | 25 ▶ 27 | 20 ▶ 21 | 18 ▶ 19 | 13 ▶ 15 | 12 ▶ 36 | |||||
| Sess 2 10:45–12:00 |
1 ▶ 44 | 28 ▶ 43 | 33 ▶ 16 | 42 ▶ 10 | 35 ▶ 11 | |||||||
| LUNCH | ||||||||||||
| Sess 3 13:15–14:30 |
22 ▶ 24 | 39 ▶ 31 | 21 ▶ 22 | 5 ▶ 4 | 41 ▶ 8 | |||||||
| Sess 4 14:45–16:00 |
2 ▶ 37 | 28 ▶ 34 | 40 ▶ 3 | 38 ▶ 29 | 30 ▶ 32 | |||||||
| Court D | Sess 1 09:00–10:30 |
32 ▶ 13 | 8 ▶ 5 | 18 ▶ 15 | 14 ▶ 20 | 23 ▶ 3 | 27 ▶ 17 | |||||
| Sess 2 10:45–12:00 |
36 ▶ 30 | 2 ▶ 39 | 13 ▶ 10 | 21 ▶ 1 | 22 ▶ 19 | 40 ▶ 42 | ||||||
| LUNCH | ||||||||||||
| Sess 3 13:15–14:30 |
6 ▶ 11 | 16 ▶ 4 | 12 ▶ 43 | 43 ▶ 9 | 26 ▶ 33 | |||||||
| Sess 4 14:45–16:00 |
9 ▶ 34 | 7 ▶ 26 | 29 ▶ 25 | 31 ▶ 35 | 37 ▶ 9 | |||||||
| Court E (FR/ES) |
Sess 1 09:00–10:30 |
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| Sess 2 10:45–12:00 |
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| LUNCH | ||||||||||||
| Sess 3 13:15–14:30 |
1F ▶ 2F | 1S ▶ 2S | 2S ▶ 3S | 3S ▶ 4S | 4S ▶ 1S | |||||||
| Sess 4 14:45–16:00 |
2F ▶ 1F | 1S ▶ 3S | 2S ▶ 4S | 3S ▶ 1S | 4S ▶ 2S | |||||||
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A discussion on the African Commission's decision in Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights & IHRDA v Ethiopia (Communication 599/16)
The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, in collaboration with the Kennedy Human Rights Center and the Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA), invites you to a webinar examining the decision of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights on violations of the right to vote and civic space rights in Ethiopia’s 2015 general elections, under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The discussion will be framed in light of Ethiopia’s forthcoming general election on 1 June 2026, with a focus on whether, and to what extent, the respondent state has addressed the violations identified by the Commission and complied with its recommendations.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, extends its warm congratulations to the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), the legislative organ of the African Union, on the successful convening of its Extraordinary Elective Session held on 30 April 2026 in Midrand, South Africa.
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The Child Rights and Rehabilitation Network (CRARN), The Centre for Human Rights (CHR) and The Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA), welcomes the decision issued on 23rd of April 2026 by the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) regarding the Child Witchcraft Accusations in Nigeria under Communication No: 0017/Com/001/2021.
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The book Between legal tradition and transformation by Tresor Muhindo Makunya, recently published by the Pretoria University Law Press (PULP), was on 29 April 2026 launched at an event hosted by PULP, the South African National Research Foundation (NRF) Chair in International Constitutional Law and the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria. The event was attended by around 60 people in person, and some 50 people on line.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, in collaboration with the Centre for Environmental Justice in Africa, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria and the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER), Rhodes University, South Africa cordially imnvite you to a webinar to Commemorate World Environment Day 2026 under the theme "Climate Justice, Environmental Protection and the Realisation of Socio-Economic Rights in Africa"
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Invitation to all doctoral candidates
Students who have completed their doctoral studies in law at an African University in 2025/6 are encouraged to submit their doctoral theses for consideration for the Christof Heyns Memorial Thesis Award, which is awarded annually. The winning thesis will be published in book form by the Pretoria University Law Press (PULP).
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The Centre for Human Rights in the Faculty of Law at the University of Pretoria will be convening the 14th annual Disability Rights in Africa conference in hybrid format from 5 to 6 November 2026. The theme for this year’s conference is ‘Equality and non-discrimination: Realising the rights of persons with disabilities in Africa.’ The conference aims to achieve two primary objectives: First, to critically examine the extent to which laws, policies, practices, programmes and ideologies related to the rights of persons with disabilities in Africa align with the right to equality and non-discrimination as enshrined in the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Africa (African Disability Protocol) and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Second, to facilitate open dialogue on innovative strategies and measures that can be implemented to promote equality and eliminate discrimination against persons with disabilities in Africa. It is anticipated that papers presented at the conference will be re-worked by authors and submitted for potential publication in the 2027 edition of the African Disability Rights Yearbook.
The Centre for Human Rights hosts the annual Disability Rights in Africa conference every November. The conference provides a platform for convening open dialogue amongst key stakeholders on disability rights, and spotlights pertinent and emerging issues across Africa.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria cordially invite you to participate in the Validation Workshop on Advancing the Rights of Older Women in Africa, convened as part of the process towards developing a General Comment on Article 22 of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol).
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On 5 to 7 May 2026, the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria will hear asignificant case concerning the treatment of newborn infants who arerelinquished (safely handed over) through baby saver mechanisms, aprocess aimed at ensuring their protection and whether South African lawwrongly conflates this life preserving conduct with child abandonment,which is deemed an offence under the Children’s Act. Baby Savers South Africa NPO and Door of Hope Children’s Mission NPO(“the applicants”) instituted these proceedings and seek relief to excludeproviders of baby saver boxes from accomplice liability for the offence ofabandonment. The Centre for Human Rights (“CHR”), represented by Lawyers for HumanRights (“LHR”), appears in this matter as amicus curiae, or friend of thecourt.
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The African Disability Rights Yearbook (ADRY) is calling for papers for consideration for publication in Section A of the ADRY in 2026. The ADRY publishes once a year with a focus on disability rights issues and developments of contemporary concern to persons with disabilities on the African continent. The ADRY is published by the Pretoria University Law Press (PULP) as a peer-reviewed open-access journal that is accredited by the South African Department of Higher Education and Training. The ADRY can be accessed at: www.adry.up.ac.za
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, presented the 2026 edition of the Advanced Human Rights Course on the African Human Rights System in Comparative Perspectives from 20 to 24 April 2026.
Offered in a hybrid format, the one-week course brought together participants both in the Centre’s classroom and online via Zoom. Forming part of the Centre’s Advanced Human Rights Courses, the programme explored the institutions, instruments and processes that shape the African human rights system, while placing them in conversation with other regional human rights systems.
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The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, is gravely concerned by reports of arrests, harassment, and other actions targeting people close to renowned Ethiopian artist Tewodros Kassahun, popularly known as Teddy Afro, following the release of his latest album, Etorika. The album, released on 16 April 2026, is understood to include lyrics critical of the government, particularly the Prime Minister, and there are growing fears that the artist may himself be the next target.
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By Tendai Mbanje, an LLD candidate at the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria
For millions of South Africans, Freedom Day is not merely a holiday; it is a day of unforgettable memory, a reliving of the hopes and promises of 1994. It is a profound reminder of the sacrifices made to dismantle apartheid – and the triumph of democratic ideals.
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Author Dr Dorcas Basimanyane is a development lawyer and legal scholar specialising in international trade and investments law, business and human rights, technology law and economic governance based at the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria.
Mandatory Human Rights Due Diligence, Legal Pluralism, Corporate Accountability, Africa, Human Rights-Based Approach, Endogenous Governance.
Introduction
Global discourse on corporate accountability is witnessing a fundamental reorientation. For decades, the governance of transnational corporations (TNCs) regarding human rights and environmental standards was relegated to voluntary initiatives and the frequently indeterminate concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The limitations of this voluntarist approach have precipitated a decisive turn towards "hard law," as continued corporate impunity for environmental degradation, labour exploitation, and community displacement necessitates stricter regulation. The rapid proliferation global of Mandatory Human Rights Due Diligence (mHRDD) legislation epitomises this shift.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria (the Centre), in collaboration with MISA Zimbabwe, hosted the virtual launch of the Zimbabwe Elections Report on Wednesday, 8 April 2026. The report is titled “Proactive Disclosure of Information During Elections: An Evaluation of Zimbabwe's Compliance with the Guidelines on Access to Information and Elections in Africa During the Harmonised Elections of 23 August 2023”. The event convened academia, civil society, media practitioners, youth formations and public institutions to reflect on the extent to which Zimbabwe's electoral stakeholders complied with continental standards on access to information. The main goal was to present key findings from the report and to foster dialogue on strengthening legal frameworks, proactive disclosure practices and multi-stakeholder coordination to safeguard information integrity and democratic participation. Drawing on qualitative research conducted between July and October 2023, the programme examined patterns of non-disclosure during the electoral cycle, the role of digital and social media in shaping electoral information ecosystems, and the impact of information gaps on civic education, accountability, and public participation.
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Official Communiqué 35th Christof Heyns African Human Rights Moot Court Competition
Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, 26 July – 2 August 2026
Date: 22 April 2026
To: All partners, participating universities, judges, and stakeholders
Re: Logistical Updates 35th Christof Heyns African Human Rights Moot Court Competition
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On 13 April 2026, the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria, in collaboration with Afrobarometer and the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, convened a public briefing to present the results of the 2025 Afrobarometer survey in South Africa. Held at the University's Hatfield campus, the event brought together civil society actors, legal practitioners, and researchers to examine the systemic challenges of corruption and their implications for the country's democratic trajectory.
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The background to the database:
This database is an open-access repository of raw data that shows evidence of the impact of the core UN human rights treaties at the domestic level, in specific countries. Developed from the 2002 and 2022 studies on The Impact of the United Nations Human Rights Treaties at the Domestic Level, this database aims to provide documents covering all UN Member States, to spark dialogue on the impact of the UN human rights treaty body system and to foster enhanced research analyses on this topic.
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From 13- 16 April 2026, the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty og Law, University of Pretoria, participated in the 28th meeting of the Civil Society Organisations Forum on the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (CSO Forum), held in Maseru, Kingdom of Lesotho. The Forum took place ahead of the 47th Ordinary Session of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC), taking place on 17 to 25 April 2026.
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On 15 April 2026 at the 28th meeting of the Civil Society Organisations Forum on the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (CSO Forum) the Centre for Human Rights (the Centre) held a panel discussion on the establishment of a Litigants Group for ACERWC. Representatives from the Centre, Prof Frans Viljoen, Prof Nkatha Murungi, Rotondwa Mashige and Ntokozo Sibanyoni, were joined by Mr Michael Gyan Nyarko from the Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa to discuss various issues on litigation and implementation of children’s rights decisions.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria welcomes and applauds the recent adoption of the resolution on the Promotion and Protection of Artistic Freedom in Africa and the development of a Model Law on Artistic Freedom in Africa (ACHPR/Res.654(LXXXVI) 2026) by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the African Commission). The Resolution was adopted at the Commission’s 86th Ordinary Session, which reaffirms the centrality of artistic expression as a protected form of communication under Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The resolution recognises the indispensable role of artists, cultural practitioners, and creative industries in fostering democratic dialogue, social cohesion, and the preservation of Africa’s diverse cultural heritage. This resolution-the first to explicitly name artistic freedom at the regional level is vital in calling for both national reform and the development of a model regional law. The development of this resolution came out of conversations on the sidelines of the Pan African Network on Artistic Freedom (PANAF) Summit held in February in Addis Ababa, in attendance of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression and Access to Information who supported the idea of a resolution and model law. The Centre, takes special recognition to the drafting team; Sam Brakarsh, Wesley Mwafulirwa, Lisa Sidambe, and the Special Rapporteur's team.
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By postdoctoral fellow Olayinka Adeniyi and Prof Ebenezer Durojaye of the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria
The availability of safe drinking water is key to understanding Africa’s water crisis. The WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme found that just 39% of Africans used safely managed drinking water in 2020, highlighting a huge disparity between Africa and better-served regions. The issue goes beyond rainfall and physical deprivation: weak infrastructure, poor service delivery, government problems and entrenched inequality decide who receives water, when and at what cost.
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From 23 to 27 March 2026, the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria hosted the Advanced Short Course on Disability Rights in an African context (short course). The short course was presented in hybrid format, with some participants attending in person at the University of Pretoria and others joining virtually via zoom. Participants at the short course were from various African countries and around the globe including Zambia, Zimbabwe, The Gambia, Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia, Namibia, Malawi, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Egypt, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Botswana, Cameroon, Rwanda, Liberia, Mauritius, Australia and Belgium. They were drawn from various sectors including academia, national human rights institutions, civil society organisations and government.
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The Centre for Human Rights Faculty of Law, University of in collaboration with the Pan African Cancer Research Institute (PACRI) and Dullah Omar Institute, University of the Western Cape cordially invite you to a webinar commemorating World Health Day 2026.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria welcomes and applauds the recent adoption of the Resolution on Elections in Africa by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the African Commission). Resolution ACHPR/Res.655(LXXXVI) 2026 was adopted during the 86th Ordinary Session of the African Commission held from 23 February to 9 March 2026.
CHR’s Michael Aboneka wins best Academic Paper presentation at the African Cyber Law Conference 2026
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The African Cyber Law Conference 2026 was hosted by the School of Law, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg from 24-25 March 2026. The Conference brought together scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to examine the evolving landscape of Artificial Intelligence (AI) governance in Africa. The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria was represented by Michael Aboneka from the Freedom of Expression, Access to Information and Digital Rights Unit who presented a paper on how Africans must be architects in developing AI that speaks to African contexts in legal research. His presentation was recognized as the best academic paper presentation at the conference, for which he received an award.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, in partnership Afrobarometer presents corruption report based on Afrobarometer’s 2025 South Africa survey.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, cordially invites you to the academic launch of the Database on the Impact of the United Nations Human Rights Treaties at the Domestic Level. Developed with the support of HURIDOCS, this database is an open-access, collaborative platform that documents the impact of core United Nations human rights treaties at the domestic level.
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On 19 March 2026, the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, in partnership with the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Continental Secretariat and the South African Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA), hosted a high-level public lecture on the critical impact of global credit ratings on African development. Held at the University of Pretoria's Future Africa campus, the event commemorated the 23rd anniversary of the APRM under the theme: ‘The Impact of Credit Ratings on AU Member States and the Urgent Need for the Operationalisation of the African Credit Ratings Agency (AfCRA)’. The gathering brought together ministers, diplomats, and academics to deconstruct the technical complexities of global finance and advocate for a rating system that reflects the structural realities of the African continent.
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Many sectors, including the legal profession, are integrating Artificial intelligence in the administration of justice. There have been varying and competing views on using AI as a transformative technology tool that can be used to reduce case backlogs, enhance efficiency, kill biases on one hand and fears about the same undermining the human-centered nature of justice on the other. These divergent views were recently at the center of the discourse at an academic conference held at O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU), India 18-22 February 2026 where jurists and scholars from over 20 law schools that are part of the Law Schools Global League (LSGL) examined the implications of AI for legal systems worldwide, with particular attention to developments in the Global South and Africa. The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria was represented by Michael Aboneka from the Freedom of Expression, Access to Information and Digital Rights Unit who presented on the topic, AI and the evolution of African Legal Research. The paper focused on the right for Africa to participate in the architecture of AI models.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria cordially invites you to a webinar commemorating World Water Day 2026 under the theme Advancing the Right to Water and Water Justice in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities
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From 9 to 14 March 2026, the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, in collaboration with the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights, University of Oslo, and the Faculty of Law, University of Nairobi, hosted the Advanced Human Rights Course on Business and Human Rights in Africa in Nairobi, Kenya, with online participation via Zoom. The six-day intensive short course formed part of the Centre’s Advanced Human Rights Courses programme and was designed to deepen knowledge and scholarship on business and human rights in Africa.
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The Centre for Human Rights cordially invites you to the Opening Ceremony of the Human Rights Master’s Programmes. On this occasion, the 2026 cohort of students in the : Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa, Multidisciplinary Human Rights, Sexual and Reproductive Rights in Africa, and Disability Rights in Africa programmes, as well as incoming doctoral students will be individually introduced.
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On 5 March 2026, the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, in partnership with the Thulani Maseko Foundation, Human Rights Watch, the International Commission of Jurists, and Amnesty International, hosted the 3rd Annual Thulani Maseko Memorial Lecture. The event fell on what would have been Thulani Maseko's 56th birthday, three years after his brutal assassination on 21 January 2023. The theme of this year’s lecture was ‘The role of solidarity in advancing justice and accountability for the persecution of human rights defenders in Eswatini’.
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This year, the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria (the Centre) commemorates the International Women’s Day in its 40th year of existence. For the women’s rights activists in the Centre, the mood is not so celebratory. Many are grappling with righteous rage. Following national and international news including current affairs leaves one at pains to choose where to direct one’s rage on any given day. Today, my righteous anger is targeted at the apparent impunity of men in power for the exploitation of women and girls as is evidenced in the Epstein files. Royalty, spiritual and wellness gurus, business and world leaders are implicated in maintaining communication and interactions with the convicted and sentenced sex offender even after his crimes had been exposed and successfully prosecuted.
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The South African National Research Foundation Chair in International Constitutional Law, the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, and the Faculty of Law, Monash University, will co-host a conference dedicated to the judgments of African Union (AU) human rights bodies.
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Many people are asking whether the war between Israel, the United States, and Iran affects Africa in any way. The answer is yes, and this piece will demonstrate how. The escalation of hostilities between these powers is not simply another distant conflict. Africa often suffers the consequences of wars in which it is not directly involved. At the same time, a sobering reality emerges we are living in an increasingly unsafe world dominated by advanced lethal weapons, ballistic missiles, and cyber warfare technologies that Africa remains decades behind in either possessing or understanding.
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The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria (the Centre), in collaboration with Misa Zimbabwe will host a webinar to launch the Zimbabwe Elections Report titled “Proactive Disclosure of Information During Elections: An Evaluation of Zimbabwe’s Compliance with the Guidelines on Access to Information and Elections in Africa During the Harmonised Elections of 23 August 2023.” This webinar will convene voices from academia, civil society, media, youth formations and public institutions to interrogate the extent to which Zimbabwe’s electoral stakeholders complied with the Guidelines on Access to Information and Elections in Africa, adopted by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in 2017.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Sabelo Gumedze as Assistant Director (Operations) at the Centre.
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The African Human Rights Law Journal (AHRLJ) and the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria (Centre) are pleased to announce the publication of Volume 25, Issue 2 of the AHRLJ.
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The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Court), the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Commission), and the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (African Children’s Committee) are pleased to invite submissions for fully developed articles and case discussions aiming to make ground-breaking academic-style contributions to the human rights discourse in Africa.
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Report on the Conclusion of the 17th Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot
The 17th Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition concluded at the European seat of the United Nations, the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, on 18 July 2025 — Nelson Mandela International Day. The date marked 107 years since the birth of the iconic human rights champion whose name the Competition proudly bears.
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By Ivy Gikonyo
In recent weeks, public attention in both Ghana and Kenya has been captured by disturbing allegations of a foreign national secretly recording intimate encounters with women and circulating those videos online. What might have been private, fleeting moments between consenting adults were transformed into viral spectacles without the knowledge or permission of the women involved.
Before anything else, it is important to draw a clear moral line. Choosing to spend time with someone, even in an intimate setting, does not cancel out one’s rights. Adults are allowed to make personal decisions (wise or unwise). None of those choices amount to consenting to be filmed in secret. None of them translate into permission to have one’s image and vulnerability distributed to strangers across messaging apps and social media feeds.
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The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria (the Centre), in collaboration with Open Society Foundation will host a webinar to launch the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Elections Report titled “Proactive Disclosure of Information During Elections: An Evaluation of DRC’s Compliance with the Guidelines on Access to Information and Elections in Africa During the Harmonised Elections of 23 August 2023.” This webinar will convene voices from academia, civil society, media, youth formations and public institutions to interrogate the extent to which DRC’s electoral stakeholders complied with the Guidelines on Access to Information and Elections in Africa, adopted by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in 2017.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, has officially welcomed the fourth cohort of students to its Disability Rights in Africa (DRIA) master’s programme, marking another milestone in advancing disability rights scholarship on the continent.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, through its Expression, Information and Digital Rights (EIDR) Unit, participated in the 2025 conference of the African Women in Media (AWiM), hosted at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 4 to 5 December 2025. The conference was convened under the theme “Beyond Commitments: Advancing Policies for Gender-Safe Media”.
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Today, 13th February 2026, is World Radio Day, a moment to pause and honour one of the most familiar companions of our lives.
Radio represents and advances the fundamental rights to freedom of expression and access to information. Most of us grew up with the radio. It was always there in the background of ordinary days, perhaps resting on a kitchen shelf, placed on the bedside table, balanced on a windowsill, or tucked into the corner of a small shop. It played in buses and minibuses, in taxis, tro-tros, jeepneys, dala-dalas, colectivos and matatus. It kept farmers company in the fields, vendors alert at their stalls, drivers awake on long roads, and families connected long before smartphones entered our pockets.
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The Human Rights Centre at the University for Peace (UPeace) invites you to participate in a fully online training on Multilateral Development Banks’ Accountability Mechanisms from 14 -15 May 2026 at 9:00am–12:00md (GMT-6).
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Are you interested in contributing to the academic and practical excellence of organising international moot court competitions?
The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, is an internationally recognised institution combining academic excellence with impactful advocacy to advance human rights, particularly in Africa. The Centre organises and coordinates leading international and regional moot court competitions – the Christof Heyns African Human Rights Moot Competition and the Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition – which form a core component of its teaching, training and advocacy mandates.
The Centre invites applications for the position of Moot Court Competitions Assistant Coordinator, to start at the beginning of the 2026 academic year. This position is intended for a doctoral candidate (LLD or PhD)who will be starting his or her doctoral studies in 2026 at the University of Pretoria. The role offers a valuable opportunity to gain project management experience alongside doctoral studies.
The position will be based at the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria. The successful candidate will work closely with the Moot Court Coordinator and the Centre’s academic staff to support the effective planning, preparation and execution of the Centre’s moot court activities.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria in collaboration with the Thulani Maseko Foundation, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the International Commission of Jurists invite you to the Third Thulani Maseko Memorial Lecture under the theme: ‘The role of solidarity in advancing justice and accountability for the persecution of human rights defenders in Eswatini’.
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Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) is central to advancing young people’s sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). While Malawi has demonstrated policy commitment to CSE, persistent challenges remain in implementation and coherence.
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The 10th of February 2026 marks Safer Internet Day. This year’s theme, “Smart tech, safe choices: exploring the safe and responsible use of AI” could not be more relevant for children growing up online today. In South Africa, where more than 95 % of children regularly use the internet, digital spaces are now as central to childhood as classrooms, homes and playgrounds. That transformation has created opportunities, but it has also stressed rights that our Constitution already guarantees.
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By Tendai Mbanje
Citizens of Burkina Faso now endure life stripped of dignity, denied the rights to political participation, association, expression, and assembly. Under the self‑proclaimed pan‑Africanist Captain Ibrahim Traoré, the promise of liberation has curdled into repression. Once hailed as a defender of sovereignty, Traoré has become an oppressor to his own people, extinguishing freedoms and ruling through fear.
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By Michael Aboneka
Ugandans went to polls on 15 January 2026 and despite assurances by the Ministry of ICT and the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) that the internet would remain on, the government once again pulled the "kill switch" on 13 January 2026 with no legal justifications whatsoever. UCC in their communication noted that they received direction from the national security council to switch off the internet due to security reasons. Despite having It is clear that the 2026 shutdown was not just a political tactic; it was a systemic dismantling of the human rights that underpin a free society.
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18–19 November 2025 — Gqeberha, South Africa
The Centre for Human Rights hosted a two-day Community Leadership and Human Rights Training Workshop in Gqeberha from 18 to 19 November 2025. The event brought together 37 participants, including community leaders, civil society actors, educators, healthcare workers, students, high school learners, faith-based representatives, and members of migrant and refugee communities. The workshop aimed to deepen understanding of human rights and migration, promote constructive dialogue, and strengthen social cohesion at the community level.
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UN reports that more than 300 incidents of government-enforced shutdowns have been recorded in over 54 countries in just the past two years
In the 21st century, democracy is meant to thrive on transparency, participation, and the free flow of information. Yet, a new cancer is eating away at its foundations: state-sponsored internet shutdowns. Once considered rare and extreme, these digital blackouts have become disturbingly routine. UNESCO reports that more than 300 incidents of government-enforced shutdowns have been recorded in over 54 countries in just the past two years. The year 2024 was the worst on record since monitoring began in 2016, and the trend has only worsened into 2026.
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By Lakshita Kanhiya, LLD Candidate, Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria
A silence that is becoming harder to justify
For a country that frequently presents itself as a model democracy and a defender of the rule of law, Mauritius’ prolonged silence before Africa’s principal human rights body is increasingly difficult to explain. The State’s periodic report under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (and relevant protocols) has been due since 2024. While Mauritius prepared and submitted its 11th Periodic Report under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights covering the period from August 2020 to April 2024, it failed to appear before the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Commission / Commission), the treaty body mandated to supervise the implementation of the provisions of the Charter to present it and engage in constructive dialogue with the Commission, so that the Commission can provide its feedback through issuing concluding observations. Mauritius was listed on the agenda of both the 81st Ordinary Session held in November 2024 and the 85th Ordinary Session held in October 2025 in The Gambia. On both occasions, the State delegation did not show up. As 2026 begins, the question can no longer be postponed, is Mauritius ready to account for its human rights record to the African Commission, or will it once again remain absent?
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This edited volume seeks to re-center the Global South as a critical site of knowledge production and praxis on disability and chronic illness. It challenges the uncritical transfer of Euro-American theoretical models that often fail to reflect the social, political, and cultural realities of people living with disabilities and chronic illnesses in developing contexts. Instead, it promotes a decolonial rethinking of disability and chronicity one that values local epistemologies, community-based resilience, and intersectional justice.
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Digital transformation has emerged as one of the most significant forces reshaping governance, economic development, and social relations worldwide. Advances in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, digital platforms, and data-driven systems increasingly influence how states function, how economies integrate, and how rights are understood and protected. Both African and Asian countries are navigating complex opportunities and challenges as they adapt their regulatory frameworks to keep pace with rapid technological change.
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We stand in solidarity with Birzeit University, a member university of the Global Campus of Human Rights and a founding member of the Arab regional programme in Democracy and Human Rights, with its leadership, its faculty, its staff and its students.
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Applications are invited for the award of the first Christof Heyns Human Rights Scholarship. Applications are open to current or prospective doctoral candidates studying towards a doctoral degree in human rights at the University of Pretoria.
Download Call for Applications
CLOSING DATE: The last day for applying is 30 January 2026.
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Uganda goes to the polls on 15 January 2026. Ugandans will elect the president, members of parliament for a five‑year term. As the date of the elections draws near, various stakeholders have argued that these polls are not a celebration of democracy, but rather a repetition of authoritarian consolidation. Despite the presence of 27 political parties and over 21 million registered voters, human rights groups have reported that the electoral environment is marred by violence, repression, and systematic human rights violations. For instance, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have documented widespread intimidation, arbitrary arrests, and torture of opposition supporters, underscoring that these elections mean little for ordinary citizens. What should be a moment of democratic renewal has instead become another occasion for authoritarian entrenchment, echoing the failures seen in Tanzania’s recent elections, yet another troubling example within the East African Community (EAC).
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On 20 November 2025, the Centre for Human Rights (CHR), Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, in collaboration with UNESCO, hosted the second webinar in the Social Media 4 Peace (SM4P) Phase II series. Building on the foundational discussions of the first session, this webinar focused on advocacy strategies, coalition-building and platform engagement. The virtual gathering provided a critical space for 35 participants representing civil society, academia, media and youth and women’s organisations to share expertise on navigating the complexities of digital governance. The series serves as an essential precursor to the upcoming workshop in Cape Town, designed to equip stakeholders with the necessary tools to translate research and lived experiences into actionable policy interventions.
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On 13 November 2025, the Centre for Human Rights (CHR), Faculty of Law ,University of Pretoria, in partnership with UNESCO, successfully convened the first webinar of the Social Media 4 Peace (SM4P) Phase II initiative. Titled “Foundations of Content Governance and Digital Rights,” the session brought together 20 participants from academia and civil society to establish a conceptual and legal framework for addressing online harms. This inaugural session serves as a cornerstone for the project’s goal of raising awareness among global stakeholders to address harmful content while strictly safeguarding freedom of expression and access to information.
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By Belinda Matore, an LLD candidate and project officer at the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria
It is indisputable that the modern influencer stands as a central figure in contemporary digital life. These individuals, whether operating on TikTok, YouTube or Instagram, possess the ability to translate complex ideas into accessible stories, set cultural rhythms and command the attention of audiences who often hold a deep scepticism toward traditional institutions. We routinely measure their success by the breadth of their reach, their follower counts, their engagement rates, and their capacity to drive consumer behaviour. Yet by focusing solely on the extent of their influence, we overlook a far more critical question: who influences the influencer? The answer is not merely academic; it is profoundly relevant to the health of public discourse. The systemic forces shaping a creator’s message are, by extension, the forces shaping what millions of people see, share, believe and often fight about online. If we seek to educate the public about online harms and cultivate a more peaceful digital environment, we must first understand and, at times, strategically disrupt these powerful underlying forces.
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Global South Rising: Towards Equity, Justice, and Decolonising International Law Symposium
The Centre for Human Rights (Centre) and the NRF Chair in International Constitutional Law, at the Law Faculty at University of Pretoria, in partnership with the Law Faculty of the University of Hamburg, co-hosted the Global South Rising: Towards Equity, Justice, and Decolonising International Law Symposium from 8 to 9 December 2025 at the University of Pretoria Moot Court Room. The two-day event brought together 50 participants, including senior scholars, researchers, practitioners and students from the Global South and the Global North to critically interrogate the historical and contemporary foundations, structures, and logics of international law from Global South perspectives, and to propose pathways for reconstructing the field in more equitable and inclusive ways. This year marked the second event in the Global South Rising Symposium series initiated by Dr. Dorothy Makaza-Goede and first hosted at the University of Hamburg in November 2024, with funding from the Excellence Strategy of the Federal and State Governments (Germany).
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The Vera Chirwa Award winners for 2025 were announced on International Human Rights Day, 10 December 2025, at the University of Pretoria Graduation and Awards Ceremony. Exceptionally, the Vera Chirwa Award was jointly awarded to three laureates. The careers of these three exceptional awardees, Abiola Idowu-Ojo, Ayalew Getachew and Horace Adjolohoun, brought them to currently serve at the helm of the three African Union (AU) human rights bodies. Abiola is the Executive Secretary of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (African Commission); Ayalew is the Acting Executive Secretary of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (African Children’s Committee); and Horace is the Head of the Legal Division at the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights (African Court).
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By Sally Ncube and Nkatha Murungi
The challenge is to initiate measures to strengthen the protection, participation and visibility of women and girls within the realm of climate policy.
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From 23 to 25 November 2025, the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, participated in the 27th meeting of the Civil Society Organisations Forum on the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (CSO Forum), held in Maseru, Kingdom of Lesotho. The Forum took place ahead of the 46th Ordinary Session of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC), and the Symposium commemorating the 35th anniversary of the African Children’s Charter.
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2025 marks the 35th anniversary of the adoption of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC). The African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (the Committee) celebrated this milestone by hosting a symposium during its 46th Ordinary Session held in Maseru, Lesotho. During the symposium, the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria (the Centre) partnered with Inclusion Africa to participate in a panel discussion titled ‘Children with Disabilities: Lessons and Policy Directions.’
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Uganda goes to the polls on 15 December 2025 and the presidential campaigns by the 8 candidates are in high gear. When the campaigns kicked off at the end of September 2025, they were dubbed peaceful and everyone thought, for the first time, that the campaigns will be a peaceful event, free from state orchestrated violence. Lo and behold, we celebrated too early, the campaigns are now bloody with 45 days left to the polling day. This is not the first time the state apparatus has meted violence on Ugandan voters. In November 2020, 54 Ugandans were killed in just two days while exercising their right to protest following the arrest of the opposition candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi. Police and other security agencies fired live ammunitions which led to their death and injured many others. Today, Uganda’s political landscape continues to be stained by the reckless and violent suppression of opposition campaigns especially the brutal dispersal of rallies organized by NUP’s presidential Candidate Robert Kyagulanyi and other opposition candidates in a few instances. What should be moments of democratic participation, public debate, and political choice have instead become scenes of horror with civilians running from gunfire, bodies lying in blood in streets, families mourning loved ones shot down for daring to attend a campaign, imagine, a mere campaign rally.
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The Price Media Law Moot Court Competition is one of the world's oldest human rights moot court competitions and indeed the only international moot to focus on the human rights aspects of media law. It is entering its 20th year in 2026. Typically, teams participate from around the world through regional rounds. Qualifying teams compete in the International Final Round that takes place in Oxford.
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Introduction
More than just a date, 25 November serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need to end all forms of violence against women (VAW), commemorated globally as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. It is also a call for decisive action to ensure justice for women who have been killed and to hold perpetrators accountable. The United Nations (UN) reports that nearly one in three women worldwide has been subjected to physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence at least once in their life. Even more worrying is that despite ongoing efforts by civil society organisations and states, VAW is increasingly overshadowed by a global rise in femicide, with one woman or girl being killed every 10 minutes. This alarming trend underscores the urgent need to strengthen our collective efforts, mechanisms and legal frameworks, which remain insufficient to protect women today.
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On the 22 November 2025, the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria held a workshop in Maseru, Kingdom of Lesotho. This workshop, the fourth of its kind following previous workshops in Zambia, Malawi and Kenya, focused on “Promoting Child Participation in Development Frameworks in Africa” and establishing a Child Leadership Teams in Lesotho which will form part of the African base of the Global Campus for Human Rights, Child Leadership Team (GC-CLT).
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On 19 - 20 November 2025, Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria (the Centre) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) hosted a workshop for strengthening the technical capacity of CSOs/NGOs and Individual lawyers to litigate violations of children’s rights before African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC). The workshop brought together civil society organisations and lawyers from four of the African regions.
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On 8 November 2025, the Centre for Human Rights, Law Faculty, University of Pretoria (the Centre) in partnership with Open Society Foundations (OSF) and the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) hosted the third annual civil society parliamentary dialogue, at the Pan-African Parliament Precinct. The dialogue aimed to strengthen parliamentary-civil society collaboration on democracy, human rights, and governance across Africa. This dialogue brought together civil society organisations, academics, university students and legislators from across the continent.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria cordially invites you to to the second webinar on Social Media 4 Peace (SM4P) project, an initiative of UNESCO, addresses these challenges by promoting resilience against online harms, supporting evidence-based policy engagement and encouraging coalition-building. Phase II focuses on capacity strengthening, research and policy influence, with emphasis on vulnerable and marginalised groups.
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FACULTY OF LAW CENTRE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR/PROFESSOR AND HEAD OF DEPARTMENT/
DIRECTOR: CENTRE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS (ONE POST)
The University of Pretoria is one of the leading research-intensive universities in South Africa. Its nine faculties and business school offer a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. We are a diverse and dynamic community of staff and students committed to excellence, diversity, sustainability, and making a difference.
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By Belinda Matore, an LLD candidate and project officer at the Centre for Human Rights in the Faculty of Law at the University of Pretoria
Imagine a child lacing up their shoes, ready to run onto the field not just to play, but to chase dreams, sometimes their own, sometimes their parents. For many kids, sport is a source of freedom, laughter and discovery. But too often, that joy gets tangled up in adult expectations and ambitions, turning something meant to inspire into a pressure cooker. While parents play a vital role in supporting young athletes, their hopes and desires can clash with a child’s right to choose, enjoy and grow through sport. This tension raises important questions about whose dreams are really being pursued and how we can protect children’s rights to have a voice in the game.
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Are you interested in supporting the efficient delivery of an impactful multi-country research project?
The Centre for Human Rights is an internationally recognised university-based institution combining academic excellence and effective activism to advance human rights, particularly in Africa. It aims to contribute to advancing human rights, through education, research and advocacy. Centre is a partner in an innovative UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship project, hosted at the University of Bradford, that focuses on advancing gender-inclusive climate change governance in case study countries.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria in partnership with UNESCO under the Social Media 4 Peace (SM4P) Phase II Project cordially invites you to a webinar on Social Media 4 Peace (SM4P) Webinar Series on Content Governance and Digital Rights
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By Belinda Matore, an LLD candidate and project officer at the Centre for Human Rights in the Faculty of Law at the University of Pretoria
Images of children participating in sport are widespread across social media, club websites, newsletters and broadcasts. While such images celebrate achievement and community, they also expose minors to risks such as exploitation, cyberbullying, identity theft and digital permanence. In South Africa, legal protection for children’s images arises from the Constitution, common law personality rights and the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA). Yet these frameworks only partially address how children’s images intersect with safeguarding in digital environments.
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From 4 - 5 November 2025, the Disability Rights Unit at the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria hosted the ‘13th Annual disability rights in Africa conference’ under the theme ‘The African Disability Protocol: Promise and Challenges’. The conference was held in hybrid format at Southern Sun Hotel, OR Tambo International Airport and online via zoom. The aim of the conference was to critically engage with the substantive content of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Africa (African Disability Protocol), and to interrogate strategies for its successful implementation in order to bring about the desired social change. The Conference brought together different stakeholders, including academics, civil society groups, policy makers and international and regional institutions, interested in advancing the rights of persons with disabilities in Africa through the implementation of the African Disability Protocol.
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The 17th Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Mood Court Competition concluded at the European seat of the United Nations, the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, on 18 July 2025, on day of commemorating 105 years since the birth of the internationally renowned human rights icon Nelson Mandela.
Midlands State University of Zimbabwe represented by Michelle Tanatsirwa Patricia Chiwanga and Watson Tonderai, emerged as the winners, with the Universidad Nacional de Colombia at Bogotá represented by Emily Pedraza Ochoa and John Santiago Cifuentes Rincón, clinching the runners-up spot. The two other teams that advanced to the semi-finals are University of Santo Tomas,(Philippines), which was represented by Joelle Joie Cruz and Exelcis Bernal and Symbiosis Law School NOIDA - Symbiosis International University, represented by Shashank Bhatt and Archisha Dhar. That the four top teams hailing from four different continents (Africa, Asia and Latin America), underscores the diversity and global reach of this Competition.
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On 21 October 2025, the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, convened a consultative side event during the 85th session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Banjul, The Gambia. Hosted in collaboration with the African Civil Society Engagement (ACSE), a coalition of dedicated African civil society organizations, the side event focused on advancing a general comment to strengthen the protection against discrimination and other human rights violations based on real or imputed sexual orientation and gender identity, building on the foundation laid by Resolution on Protection against Violence and other Human Rights Violations against Persons on the basis of their real or imputed Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity (Resolution 275) https://achpr.au.int/en/adopted-resolutions/275-resolution-protection-against-violence-and-other-human-rights-violations and Resolution on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Intersex Persons in Africa (Resolution 552).
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, convened a two-day virtual Symposium on Privacy and Data Protection in Africa on the 22nd and 23rd October 2025. The Symposium that was hosted by the Expression, Information and Digital Rights Unit, convened over 50 participants, including data protection authorities, scholars, students, legal practitioners, policymakers, and researchers from across Africa and beyond. The symposium was convened against the backdrop that protection of privacy and personal data in the fast growing digitalizing world is one of the most pressing human rights challenges of the 21st century. Further, digital transformation is growing through online service delivery, artificial intelligence, and e-governance which pose both opportunities and threats such as data breaches and surveillance among others, underscoring the need for sustained and inclusive discourse on the subject.
