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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria (Centre) is deeply concerned about the political situation currently unfolding in Senegal. Following President Macky Sall’s announcement on 3 February 2024 annulling the presidential elections earlier set for 25 February 2024, the actions of the Senegalese Government have continued to threaten digital rights in Senegal. The annulment is one of the most recent developments in a series of actions taken by the government leading up to the presidential elections over the past year. These actions include internet shutdowns, attacks on media practitioners and violent crackdowns on public protests. These actions violate various human rights including the rights to freedom of expression, access to information, freedom of association, freedom of assembly, and political participation as guaranteed in domestic national laws and under international treaties ratified by Senegal.
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On 8 December 2023, the Centre for Human Rights, Law Faculty, at the University of Pretoria (the Centre), celebrated the graduation of a number of students from its masters and doctoral programs. On this occasion, 42 students graduated with Masters degrees from 4 programmes (HRDA, SRRA, MDHR, TILA), while 8 candidates graduated with doctoral degrees. Six of the eight doctoral graduates at the Ceremony, that is: Landilani Banda, Crystal Mokoena, Lindlyn Moma, Dumisani Gandhi, Josephat Kilonzo, and Beryl Orao, were registered at the Centre.
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On 30 November 2023 the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria(UP), hosted a regional engagement on rights-based approaches to addressing disinformation in Southern Africa. The engagement had members of academia, media and civil society from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
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2023 marks 75 years since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and 25 years of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders. The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, OHCHR Regional Office for Southern Africa (OHCHR ROSA) and the European Union Delegation in South Africa, in partnership with Ford Foundation, hosted a commemoration of this milestone on 4 December 2023.
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On 23rd November 2023, the Centre hosted a conference on sexual and gender minority rights in Africa, under the theme of decriminalising anti-sodomy laws in a hostile environment. This Conference falls within the broader work of the Centre to advance sexual and reproductive rights in Africa, including those of sexual and gender minorities. The Conference was held in a hybrid format and brought together academics, researchers, legal practitioners, activists, religious leaders and students from across the continent.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria is pleased to announce the successful conclusion of the second edition of the Advanced Human Rights Course on Data Protection in Africa (Course). The five-day intensive online Course was organized by the Expression, Information and Digital Rights (EIDR) Unit of the Centre from 6 to 10 November 2023. This marks the second consecutive year that the Centre has organized the Course. The first edition of the Course was held from 19 to 23 September 2022. Building on the success of the first edition, this year's Course featured 19 sessions, each led by expert facilitators in the field of data protection addressing a wide range of issues in the African context.
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On 24 November 2023, the Centre held a training workshop for officials from National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) focusing on the implementation of the Resolutions 275 on Protection against Violence and other Human Rights Violations against Persons on the basis of their real or imputed Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity (2014) and Resolution 552 on Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Intersex Persons in Africa (2023). The training falls within the broader work of the Centre to advance sexual and reproductive rights in Africa, including those of sexual and gender minorities. The objectives of the training were to increase the understanding of the contents and significance of Resolutions 275 and 552, to strengthen the capacity of NHRIs in the implementation of the 2 Resolutions, and to enhance the ability of NHRIs to protect and promote the rights of sexual and gender minorities in Africa.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria cordially invites you to a webinar on the International Law Analysis of the Conflict between Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories by Professor John Dugard.
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The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria are proud to announce the publication of the sixth paper in the African Human Rights Policy Papers series.
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On 4 October 2023, the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, in collaboration with the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), the Information Regulator (IR), the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) and Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) held an engagement with political parties and candidates in Johannesburg to discuss the role of political parties and candidates in promoting access to information ahead of the 2024 elections.
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On 16 and 17 November 2023, the Centre for Human Rights, in collaboration with the Open Society Foundation, Amnesty International and the University of California, Berkeley, organised a workshop on Strategic litigation and state obligations to secure platform accountability in respect of the effects of technology on children. The workshop aimed to devise a litigation strategy holding states accountable for protecting children from the adverse effects of technology and the internet, with a focus on creating a test case for this strategy.
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From 13 – 14 November 2023, the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria conducted a workshop on utilising General Comments on Article 14 of the of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol) as tools for Advocacy on Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights in Africa.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria cordially invites you to the webinar organised to promote the African Guiding Principles on the Rights of All Migrants, Refugees and Asylum Seekers (Guiding Principles).
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Climate change is a global problem of epic proportions, which many countries around the world, including Africa, are grappling to address through a variety of measures and interventions. In order to be effective, these measures must be informed by and aim to fulfil all human rights and fundamental freedoms, leaving no one behind.
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“A man who believes that to influence social change, one must invest in the individual mind.” Words of admiration spoken by Professor Frans Viljoen as a tribute to Professor Charles Ngwena at the Conference on Advancing Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) in Africa in honour of Professor Ngwena. On 13 and 14 November 2023, the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria (Centre) brought together over 50 scholars, researchers and activists from all over the world to commemorate Professor Ngwena’s exceptional contributions to human rights and to highlight his pioneering work in advancing SRHR in Africa.
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Emerging voices of young academics represent a dynamic and promising cohort of scholars and researchers who are poised to make significant contributions to their fields. They bring a fresh perspective, innovation, and a commitment to advancing knowledge and scholarship within their areas of expertise.Emerging voices of young academics represent a dynamic and promising cohort of scholars and researchers who are poised to make significant contributions to their fields. They bring a fresh perspective, innovation, and a commitment to advancing knowledge and scholarship within their areas of expertise.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria (the Centre) participated in the 42nd session of the African Children’s Committee during which the Centre presented its partner statement and hosted a side event to raise awareness on the plight of intersex children in Africa on 9 November 2023.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Sexual and Reproductive Rights Unit, seeks a proficient Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) consultant to conduct an in-depth assessment of its Sexual and Reproductive Rights in Africa programme. The programme is a postgraduate academic project, consisting of a Masters, doctoral and post-doctoral studies.
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Breaking the Binary: Intersex Remembrance Day highlights human diversity
8 November 2023 - The Centre for Human Rights (Centre), University of Pretoria joins the global community in commemorating Intersex Remembrance Day 2023. Intersex Remembrance Day, also referred to as Intersex Solidarity Day is meant to raise awareness on the issues faced by intersex persons globally. It serves as a time to reflect on the past and inspire a more inclusive future. The day was first observed in 2005, with the date having particular meaning, as it is the birthday of French Intersex activist Herculine Barbin who contributed significantly in raising awareness on intersex rights.
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Pretoria, 25 - 26 April 2024
The Institute for International and Comparative Law in Africa (ICLA) of the Faculty of Law,The Institute for International and Comparative Law in Africa (ICLA) of the Faculty of Law,University of Pretoria, in partnership with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), RegionalProgramme Political Dialogue for Sub-Sahara Africa based in Johannesburg, South Africa, arepleased to announce this call for papers on the theme, “Party constitutionalisation andconstitutionalism in Sub-Saharan Africa.”
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, cordially invites you to a Conference on Advancing Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Africa in honour of Professor Charles Ngwena which will take place on 13 and 14 November 2023 in hybrid format (Future Africa, University of Pretoria, Hillcrest Campus, Pretoria; and on Zoom).
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, cordially invites you to the launch of Choice and Conscience: Lessons from South Africa for a Global Debate, which offers a fresh and insightful perspective on the intersection between politics, mobilisation of discretionary power and the exercise of conscientious objection to abortion care.
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7-8 September 2024
The mood of exuberant optimism in Africa that the so-called wind of change in the 1990s and the new era of constitutions that it appeared to have ushered in, will provide much needed political stability, economic growth and development is fast fading. After a few years of what looked like progress, there is now an eerie feeling of a return to the dark pre-1990 era. The recent spate of military coups is clearly a sign that changes to constitutionalism, have not provided a solid foundation for political stability nor facilitated the economic growth that was supposed to improve the lives of the ordinary Africans. Whilst a few elites have grown richer, most Africans have remained poor, and the quality of social services such as schools, hospitals and other basic infrastructure have instead of improving deteriorated. A combination of poor governance, corruption and a weak legal framework have contributed to this situation.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, has released volume 3 of the photobook series titled Looking through the prism: Narratives of queer dignity in South Africa. This series features photographs and narratives of the lives of LGBTIQ+ persons living in South Africa. Volume 3 of the series focuses on lesbian, bisexual and queer (LBQ) cisgender and transgender persons.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria cordially invites you to the virtual launch of a research report on the Impact of Race and Colour on the Enjoyment of Human Rights by Persons with Albinism in South Africa.
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The Centre for Human Rights (Centre) Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, in collaboration with Pan African International, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (PAN ILGA), held a side event on the practical steps to realising the Resolution on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Intersex Persons in Africa (Resolution 552) , on 19 October 2023 at the 79th session of the African Commission on Humana Peoples’(African Commission) Rights in Arusha. The side event was hosted under the umbrella of the African Civil Society Engagement (ACSE), a group of African Civil Society organisations working towards effective engagement with the African Commission.
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On 24 October 2023, the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria in collaboration with the Coalition for Effective African Court held a stakeholders’ dialogue on the ratification of the Protocol establishing the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights and increased direct access to the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The event was held as one of the Centre for Human Rights side events during the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights 77 Ordinary session in Arusha, Tanzania.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria will have a side event during the 42nd Ordinary Session of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights of the Child, focusing on the essential topic of Intersex Children's Rights.
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On Monday, 2 October 2023, the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria co-hosted a public forum on Mothering, Albinism and Human Rights in South Africa: The Resilience of Mothers Affected by Albinism at the Protea Hotel, Loftus Park, in Pretoria. The public forum was hosted as a collaborative effort between the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria; the Department of Nursing Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria; Trinity Western University, Canada; McMaster University, Canada; University of Ottawa, Canada; and University of Toronto, Canada.
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On 23 October 2023, the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria (the Centre) hosted a side event on the margins of the ongoing 77th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Commission) taking place in Arusha, Tanzania. The side event was aimed at highlighting issues emerging from the apparent concurrence and overlap of reporting processes related to the implementation of the Maputo Protocol. The processes of concern are the State Periodic Reporting to the African Commission as outlined under the Guidelines on State Reporting under the Maputo Protocol, and the reporting under the Maputo Protocol Score Card Index which was recently adopted by the African Union.
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On October 6, 2024, the Centre for Human Rights ( Centre), University of Pretoria held a training for members of the LGBTIQ+ community on accessing Equality Courts in South Africa. The event was held in collaboration with Nelson Mandela University (NMU) Transformation Office in Gqeberha.
The training is part of a larger project on Equality Courts in South Africa, aiming to raise awareness about the South African Equality Courts for the purposes of building capacity, confidence and knowledge in seeking redress for discrimination. The training began on 5 October, led by Adelaide Karomo from the NMU Transformation Office, with a short session on implicit bias and explored how bias can quickly turn into unfair discrimination.
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From 12 – 13 October 2023, the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria conducted the 2nd edition of its capacity building workshop for African civil society organisations on engagement with the African human rights system. The event took place at Murray Guest House Brooklyn, Pretoria.
The workshop brought together civil society organisations from various African countries. Its primary aim was to acquaint participants with the foundational frameworks of the African human rights system and the institutions overseeing these norms. Additionally, attendees gained insights into the practical aspects of interfacing with African human rights bodies, for purposes of promoting and protecting human rights in Africa.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria , International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) and ARTICLE 19 Eastern Africa will be hosting a side event on “the Surveillance and human rights in Africa,” to promote human rights based approaches to the practice of surveillance and raise awareness on its human rights implications. Principle 41 of the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa (the Declaration), calls on States to undertake lawful targeted surveillance instead of indiscriminate and untargeted collection, storage, analysis or sharing of a person’s communications.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, cordially invites you to its 11th Annual Disability Rights Conference on 20 and 21 November 2023 which will take place in a hybrid format (Southern Sun Hotel, OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg; and on zoom). The theme of this year’s conference is “Climate change and disability in Africa: A human rights’ response”.
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The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria South Africa invites you to an event on the side-lines of the 77th Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights titled: ‘Dissemination of the findings of the Study on Review of Discriminatory Laws related to Violence against Women in Africa’
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The Pretoria University Law Press (PULP) is proud to announce the winner of the Christof Heyns Memorial Thesis Award 2023. The award for the best thesis by an African doctoral candidate completed in 2022, goes to Dr Alphonce Paul Mbuya.
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The Centre for Human Rights (CHR), University of Pretoria (UP), the University of Antwerp and the government of Flanders hosted their annual advanced human rights course on the right to development.
This year, about 34 participants attended in person while 40 others followed online via Zoom. Participants were drawn from a variety of sectors including legal practitioners, human rights advocates, government officials, members of the judiciary, academics, and members of civil society organisations.
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The Centre for Human Rights (Centre) , Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, welcomes the two judgements of the Supreme Court of Mauritius in Ah Seek A.R.F. v The State of Mauritius and Fokeerbux N. A. & Others v The State of Mauritius which decriminalised consensual same-sex sexual conduct between adults.
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This publication commemorates 23 years of the Master’s programme in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa (HRDA). It gives a snapshot of the HRDA programme; the Centre for Human Rights where it is based, and the partner universities in collaboration with which it is presented.
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The Centre for Human Rights (Centre), Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria stands in solidarity with the Chief Justice of Zambia, Dr Mumba Malila SC, who has come under attack following his remarks about the need to respect the human rights of sexual minorities in Zambia. During a public lecture commemorating the Silver Jubilee of the Supreme Court of Zambia, on 22 September 2023, held at the University of Zambia, Justice Malila was asked a question on the rights of sexual minorities in Zambia, particularly of gay persons. In his response, Justice Malila stated:
I think there is something absolutely wrong in discriminating people that are different because of their sexuality. If they are people you know who are gay, I think it is absolutely wrong in allowing them less right than you would give to anyone else. Whether people are gay or not, they are human beings at the end of the day, and human rights must be accorded to all human beings.
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To commemorate this anniversary, the Centre forHuman Rights, in collaboration with Government of Flanders calls to the general public for the participationof individuals or couples who are or have been marriedunder the same-sex marriage legal system applicablein South Africa, Belgium and France to be part of theco-creation and curation process of documenting thelived realities of same-sex married couples in thesecountries through photos and videos that reflct theirjourney. Prospective participants are encouraged toindicate their interest on or before 17 October 2023.
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On 27 and 28 September 2023, the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, organised a two-day virtual seminar in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights’ Model Law on Access to Information for Africa. The Model Law was adopted on 13 February 2013, to provide legislative guidance for developing new and reviewing existing access to information laws in line with international best practices. It contains best practices and represents a harmonised approach to access to information throughout the continent and also serves as a basis for advocating for an enhanced access to information environment. The seminar provided a platform for exploring the status of access to information in Africa, including milestones and challenges.
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The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria and its partners ARTICLE 19 Eastern Africa, and ARTICLE 19 Senegal and West Africa launched four reports on Proactive Disclosure of Information and Elections in Africa, during a webinar that was held on 26 September 2023. The reports assessed state compliance with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights 2017 Guidelines on Access to Information and Elections in Africa (the Guidelines). The studies focused on the recent elections in Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, and The Gambia. The initiative was undertaken with the support of the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa, currently led by Hon Commissioner Ourveena Geeresha Topsy-Sonoo.
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On September 18-19 2023, the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria hosted a hybrid Human Rights Strategic Litigation and Advocacy Training Workshop to curb the adverse effects of Climate Change and environmental shocks in Africa, at the Plant Sciences Complex in the University of the Pretoria. The event brought together legal professionals, judges, and scholars from Southern Africa to explore the critical intersections of climate change, human rights, and climate justice in Africa, with a specific focus on the SADC region. The event was opened by the convener of the event, Dr Elvis Fokala and soon after, the Assistant Director of the Centre for Human Rights, Mr Lloyd Kuveya and the Dean of the Faculty of Law, Professor Elsabe Schoeman welcomed the participants to the University and wished them a very productive stay in Pretoria.
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As the world commemorates the International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI) that was proclaimed by the 74th UN General Assembly in October 2019, the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria recalls the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa which affirms the importance of the right of access to information in the “development of the human person, the creation and nurturing of democratic societies and for enabling the exercise of other rights”. It is a fundamental right that is protected under international human rights laws and standards.
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The recent developments in Nagorno-Karabakh, a month-long blockade followed by a large-scale offensive on the region by Azerbaijani forces, the protracted conflict and the ensuing humanitarian tragedy have brought great sorrow to the lives of the most vulnerable members of our society, children. Many children faced the harsh realities of malnutrition and limited access to food due to severe shortages caused by the blockade and critical infrastructure damage. Since last week, many children in Nagorno-Karabakh have been brutally killed or injured in their homes or in the streets, or went missing. In the last days, after the cease-fire, hundreds of children along with their families have been deprived of food, sanitation, and shelter, and under difficult circumstances have been forced to seek refuge in Armenia.
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On 15 September 2023, the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, held its 5th edition of the African human rights bodies case discussion series at Southern Sun Hotel, Pretoria. The African human rights bodies case discussion series is part of the Centre for Human Rights efforts to improve the implementation and impact of the jurisprudence of African human rights bodies by providing a platform for stakeholders to discuss and engage with critical aspects of decisions of African human rights bodies. The 5th edition focused on the decisions of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Commission) in the cases of Justice Thomas S. Masuku v The Kingdom of Swaziland and Equality Now and Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association (EWLA) v the Federal Republic of Ethiopia.
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From 13-15 September 2023, the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, in collaboration with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights convened a 3-day conference on implementation and domestic impact of the decisions of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Commission) at Southern Sun Hotel, Pretoria, South Africa.
Webinar Invitation: Launch of reports on Proactive Disclosure of Information and Elections in Africa
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The Centre for Human Rights and its partners ARTICLE 19 Eastern Africa, and ARTICLE 19 Western Africa invite stakeholders to the launch of the reports on Proactive Disclosure of Information and Elections in Africa. The reports assessed state compliance with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights 2017 Guidelines on Access to Information and Elections in Africa (the Guidelines).
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On 7 September in Accra, Ghana, The Centre for Human Rights (the Centre) and Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS) in partnership with Parliamentary Network Africa (PNAfrica) and the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) held the launch of “A Guide to Your Rights: Fundamental Human Rights and Freedomsin Ghana” booklet. The launch was attended by various members of civil society, academia, representatives from the government, students and members of the media.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria (Centre), invites qualified individuals to apply for the position of Case Study Researcher--Angola/Namibia. This is a consultancy position within a collaborative research project on the application of the 1969 OAU Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa (OAU Refugee Convention) to refugee displacements in the context of the effects of climate change, environmental degradation, and disasters in Africa.
This research project is a joint effort between the Centre and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Southern Africa Bureau, bringing together expertise and resources to advance our understanding of the impact of climate change, environmental degradation, and disasters on ‘public order’ within the framework of article I(2) of the OAU Refugee Convention.
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The 32nd edition of the Christof Heyns African Human Rights Moot Court Competition brought together 47 teams from 14 African countries in Kumasi, Ghana. The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology from 3 – 9 September 2023 hosted the biggest gathering since before covid.
The competition started with preliminary rounds, during which 36 anglophone, 9 francophone, and 2 lusophone teams argued both sides of the hypothetical case. After rigorous arguments, ultimately 3 anglophone teams and 1 francophone team made it through to the finals.
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On 8 September 2023, the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria in partnership with the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) and Parliamentary Network Africa (PNAfrica), hosted a high-level discussion regarding civil society entry points into the African Union (AU). The discussion took place in Accra, Ghana with participants from various civil society organisations (CSOs) across Africa.
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The Danish Institute for Human Rights, iCourts Center of Excellence for International Courts, and the PhD School of the Faculty of Law of the University of Copenhagen invite PhD students working on human rights related topics to submit an application to participate in our PhD course on human rights research methods.
November 15-17, 2023
Danish Institute for Human Rights, Copenhagen
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On 29 August 2023, the Centre hosted a dialogue with community leaders, leaders of faith-based organisations, hospital staff, and representatives of grassroots organisations working on the protection of refugees, asylum seekers, and other migrants (migrants) in Cape Town. The dialogue is an initiative of the Centre’s which seeks to promote social cohesion, and which is necessitated by, among other factors, the need to counter anti-African migrant sentiments that have contributed to the recurrence of xenophobic violence in South Africa, mainly targeting Black African migrants.
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The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria is organising a two day Conference on the Implications of Illicit Financial Flows on the Right to Development in Africa. The Conference will bring together participants from a wide range of stakeholders including African governments, policymakers, representatives from AU institutions, international organisations, civil society organisations, academics, researchers and private sector representatives to raise awareness, examine causes, explore the human rights dimension, share research findings, and foster cooperation in combating IFFs. These objectives collectively aim to drive action and generate sustainable solutions to curtail IFFs and redirect resources towards inclusive and sustainable development in Africa.
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The Centre for Human Rights wishes to inform its friends, collaborating partners and all other stakeholders, of the appointment of Professor Nkatha Murungi, as Acting Director. This appointment follows the end of the term of the long-time Director, Professor Frans Viljoen, who has been the Director of the Centre since 2007. The 16 years of Prof. Viljoen’s leadership included several terms as Director, as well as interim extensions. He is now on a sabbatical, but will return and take up his position as teacher and researcher in the Centre at the start of 2024.
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On 18 August 2023, the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities marked the one-year anniversary of adoption of its Guidelines on Deinstitutionalization, including in Emergencies (CRPD/C/5). Watch the official recording on UN Web TV here.
The Global Coalition on Deinstitutionalization (‘GC-DI’) is a collection of seven leading international organizations of persons with disabilities and civil society organizations. It was formed around the collective goal of promoting deinstitutionalization of persons with disabilities, under Article 19 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (‘CRPD’).
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, together with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, cordially invites you to a hybrid human rights based strategic litigation and advocacy training Workshop to curb the adverse effects of climate change and environmental shocks in Africa.
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Decriminalisation of anti-sodomy laws in an increasingly hostile environment in Africa
23 November 2023
The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, is convening a conference on sexual and gender minority rights in Africa under the theme decriminalisation of anti-sodomy laws in an increasingly hostile environment on sexual and gender minority rights in Africa. The aim of the conference is to critically analyse how anti-sodomy laws can be decriminalised under the prevailing hostile legal and political environment against sexual and gender minority rights in Africa. The conference will be held in hybrid format on 23 November 2023 in South Africa and online. It is anticipated that papers presented at this conference will be reworked by authors and submitted to be part of an edited book on decriminalisation of Anti-sodomy laws in Africa.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria seeks the consultancy services of an experienced consultant with research expertise to conduct a study to document the impact of digital violence on Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) of women in Africa and measures taken by states to protect women from and respond to violence in the digital sphere.
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2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights’ (African Commission) adoption of the Model Law on Access to Information for Africa (the Model Law). Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria will be organising a commemorative seminar on 27 and 28 September 2023, which aims to explore the status of access to information in Africa.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria in collaboration with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) recently hosted the opening ceremony of the 32nd Christof Heyns Moot Court Competition. With its theme, "The Africa We Want: Sexual and Gender Minority Rights in Africa, Climate Change, and Corruption," this year's competition promised to be a platform for exploring critical legal issues in the African context. The opening ceremony was a star-studded event, featuring speeches from esteemed legal personalities who set the stage for what promises to be an intellectually stimulating competition.
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On 22 - 24 August 2023, the Centre co-hosted a workshop with the Chair of African Legal Studies, University of Bayreuth. The workshop brought together scholars human rights in Africa and Europe, as part of a project that interrogates the reasons why some human rights violations persist with little or no change despite the establishment of extensive legal frameworks and aims to provide solutions to them. The project aims to answer three major questions: why do human rights violations persist on a large scale? Why is there such a huge disparity between the legal frameworks and incidences of violations? And what can be done to close the gap between formal protection and the lived realities of citizens? In opening the workshop, Prof Thoko Kaime, the seating Chair of African Legal Studies, Bayreuth University, expounded on the three questions as the basis for the project on intractable problems of human rights.
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The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria (the Centre), and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MFAIC) held a two-day Validation Workshop on the State Report of the Republic of Sierra Leone as required under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Charter) and the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol). The Workshop was held from 1 to 2 August 2023 in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone ratified the African Charter in September 1983 and the Maputo Protocol in July 2015, and as of January 2023, had three outstanding reports on the African Charter. Sierra Leone is also yet to report on the Maputo Protocol since ratification.
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To celebrate 20 years of the Protocol to the African Charter on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol), the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Office of the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women in Africa) calls for newsletter article contributions.
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In pursuit of the ideals of excellence and diversity, the University of Pretoria wishes to invite applications for the following vacancy.
The University of Pretoria's commitment to quality makes us one of the top research Universities in the country and gives us a competitive advantage in international science and technology development.
This is a present but vacant full-time permanent position. The successful candidate should be able to start on 1 January 2024 or as soon as possible thereafter.
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On 3 - 4 August 2023, the Centre for Human Rights (the Centre), University of Pretoria, hosted a training on litigation of SRHR claims before national and regional mechanisms in Africa, at the Southern Sun Hotel in Pretoria, South Africa. The training was attended by over 40 practitioners of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). The participants were drawn from several African countries, including South Africa, Mauritius, Botswana, Nigeria, Kenya, Zambia, DRC, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Uganda.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria (Centre), invites qualified individuals to apply for the position of Case Study Researcher--Angola/Namibia. This is a consultancy position within a collaborative research project on the application of the 1969 OAU Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa (OAU Refugee Convention) to refugee displacements in the context of the effects of climate change, environmental degradation, and disasters in Africa. This research project seeks to explore the impact of climate change, environmental degradation, and disasters on ‘public order’ within the framework of Article I(2) of the OAU Refugee Convention.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria is offering an internship opportunity within its Migrants’ Rights Unit. The intern will gain practical experience in the field of the rights of migrants.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria (Centre), invites qualified individuals to apply for the position of Case Study Researcher. This is a consultancy position within a collaborative research project on the application of the 1969 OAU Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa (OAU Refugee Convention) to refugee displacements in the context of the effects of climate change, environmental degradation, and disasters in Africa. This research project seeks to explore the impact of climate change, environmental degradation, and disasters on ‘public order’ within the framework of Article I(2) of the OAU Refugee Convention.
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From 24 to 25 July 2023, the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria collaborated with the office of the Ombudsperson for Children in Mauritius to host a capacity building on the ‘Rights of Children with Disabilities in the African Human Rights System’.
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2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights' (African Commission) adoption of the Model Law on Access to Information for Africa (the Model Law). The Model Law was adopted on February 13, 2013 and provides guidance on Member States' legislative obligations in promoting and protecting the right to access information as outlined under article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (the African Charter) and other relevant instruments such as the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa and the Guidelines on Access to Information and Elections in Africa.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria (Centre for Human Rights), cordially invites community leaders, school principals and teachers, leaders of faith-based organisations, representatives of grassroots organisations working in the area of refugees, asylum seekers, and other migrants, and hospital staff, to participate in a community dialogue in Cape Town, South Africa.
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On 2 August 2023, the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law at the University of Pretoria co-hosted Dr Serge Brammertz, Chief Prosecutor of the United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals. The theme of Dr Brammertz’s lecture was on the development and transformation of international criminal law as a branch of international law, and he also spoke about contemporary issues in the field.
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On 2 August 2023, the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, hosted a child-led conference on children’s mental health in Schools in Africa, on its Hatfield Campus. The conference was attended by children nationals from Cameroon, Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, South Africa, Malawi and Zimbabwe.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Law Faculty, University of Pretoria (Centre) held a two-day Alumni Networking Roundtable at the University of Pretoria from 27 to 28 July 2023. The Roundtable was organized as both an academic conference and networking event to reconnect the alumni of the Master’s Programme in Human Rights and Democratisation (HRDA) with each other, with the Centre, and with the current students, during this 24th year of the HRDA.
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On Friday 28 July 2023, the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, at the University of Pretoria (Centre), held its inaugural Christof Heyns Human Rights Memorial Lecture, at the Aula, University of Pretoria. The event was attended by about 150 participants in person, including Christof’s wife Fearika, and two daughters, Willemien and Renée, and around 50 participants online. The three panellists presenting the Lecture emphasised that the history and future of human rights remain based on struggle, and that the strategy against the current push back against human rights should be grounded in greater solidarity and more nuanced and sophisticated articulation of human rights language.
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Bringing together over 18 activists and lawyers, the Centre for Human Rights (Centre) held a capacity building workshop on strategic litigation and advocacy for LGBTIQ+ Advocates in Africa from 24 to 28 July, 2023. The capacity building workshop which has been held annually for the last 4 years aims at enhancing the skills of experienced activists in Africa in strategic litigation and advocacy towards the protection of sexual and gender minorities on the continent.
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EVENT INFORMATION
Date: Wednesday 2 August
Time: 17h00 – 18h30
Venue: Centre for Human Rights lecture hall, Faculty of Law
RSVP: mispa.roux@up.ac.za
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On 26 July 2023, a momentous event took place at the University of Pretoria's Faculty of Law, as the Centre for Human Rights launched its groundbreaking #RacialJustice campaign. This campaign is poised to be a catalyst for transformative change, promoting equality, understanding, and social justice in a world that continues to grapple with racial disparities. With a deep commitment to fostering inclusivity, the campaign seeks to address racial discrimination head-on and pave the way for a more equitable future.
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On 20-21 July 2023, the Centre for Human Rights and the Pan-African Parliament Civil Society Forum (PAP CSO Forum), in partnership with the Parliamentary Network Africa (PNAfrica) convened a meeting in Cote d’Ivoire with some of the West African key actors to establish a formal mechanism of engagement between the PAP and civil society.
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The Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition reached a milestone, with the 15th edition of this Competition being held at the United Nations European headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. As in 2022, the winning team emerged from the Asian region. This team, the National University of Advanced Legal Studies, Kochi, India, was composed of Akhila Vijayan and Aishwarya Sridhar. The winning team won two Peter Coenen Scholarships for a Summer International Human Rights Implementation Programme at the University of Lucerne in Switzerland. The runner up team was St Thomas University, Canada.
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The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, and the Zimbabwe chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), hosted a multi-stakeholder engagement on 27 and 28 June 2023 in Harare, Zimbabwe. The engagement sought to promote a healthy information ecosystem throughout the Zimbabwean election process by enhancing access to information and promoting rights-based approaches to addressing the disinformation challenge.
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On a momentous day in Geneva, Switzerland, the world witnessed the fourth annual Nelson Mandela Human Rights Lecture, an event that has become a beacon of inspiration and intellectual discourse. This year's lecture focused on a critical topic that continues to shape our global landscape: the intersection of refugees and climate change. In a world grappling with both environmental and humanitarian challenges, the lecture served as a platform to address the urgent need for collective action and empathetic response.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, is pleased to invite applications for the Master's degree (LLM/MPhil) in Multidisciplinary Human Rights (MDHR) for the academic year 2024. This prestigious program offers an unparalleled opportunity for students to engage in advanced studies and research in the field of human rights, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to make a lasting impact on human rights issues globally.
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On 15 July 2023, the Faculty of Law and Political Science, Université Gaston Berger, in partnership with the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, hosted the annual Julius Osega Memorial Lecture, in Saint Louis, Senegal. The theme for this year’s lecture was ‘The challenges of democratisation and the protection of human rights in Africa’ (‘Les défis de la démocratisation et de la protection des droits humains en Afrique’).
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To mark the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol), the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria and the Faculty of Law, University of Nairobi launched two books published by the Pretoria University Law Press (PULP). The book launch took place in Nairobi, Kenya on 13 July 2023. The publications were launched in celebration of the Maputo Protocol turning 20 on 11 July 2023.
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With the 2024 South African National Elections around the corner, the Democracy and Civic Engagement Unit at the Centre for Human Rights in Partnership with the Australian High Commission, South Africa convened a space in which young South Africans could engage on matters related to governance, democracy and stability on 14-15 July 2023. The democracy capacity building workshop was guided by the theme “Encouraging Youth Participation in South Africa’s Democracy.”
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The prestigious Nelson Mandela Moot Court Competition, named in honour of the iconic South African leader and human rights advocate, has long been recognised as a platform for aspiring legal minds to showcase their skills and passion for justice. With each passing year, the competition grows in significance, attracting talented law students from across the globe. As we delve into the advanced rounds of this year’s competition, let us explore the remarkable journey that participants undertake and the impact it has on the future of law.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria is pleased to invite you to the launch of the 2023 #RaciaJustice Campaign. The Centre joins the global community in the fighting against racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia. The campaign aims to achieve racial justice for the many victims of racism and racial discrimination, in the region and continent alike.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria (Centre) co-hosted a virtual meeting on colonialism and sexual orientation and gender identity with the United Nations Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity on 6 July 2023. The meeting brought together experts on colonialism, coloniality and decolonisation in relation to sexual and gender diversity from across the world.
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LEGAL AND HUMAN RIGHTS CENTRE AND CENTRE FOR REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS V UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA (The reproductive rights case)
The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law University of Pretoria would like to invite you to the 4th edition of its case discussion series on decisions of African human rights bodies.
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By Bonolo Makgale and Nyasha M Mpani
"The revolution cannot triumph without the emancipation of women” — Thomas Sankara. Women on the African continent make up 50% of the population. Yet they continue to face discrimination, inequality and lack of access to equal opportunities.
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As part of the African women’s movement, the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, and the Solidarity for African Women’s Rights (SOAWR) convened with other women’s rights organisations in Nairobi, Kenya for the Annual General Meeting on 9 July 2023. The SOAWR AGM took place ahead of a two-day celebration of the Maputo Protocol anniversary on 10 and 11 July 2023 in collaboration with the African Union and the Government of Kenya, as the host state. The Centre financially supported representatives of 5 member organisations based in the Southern Africa region to participate in the AGM and the pivotal anniversary celebrations on 10 and 11 July 2023.
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In pursuit of the ideals of excellence, the University of Pretoria wishes to invite applications for the following vacancy. The University of Pretoria's commitment to quality makes us one of the top research Universities in the country and gives us a competitive advantage in international development.
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On 22 June 2023, the Centre for Human Rights (CHR) and the Centre for Sexualities, AIDS, and Gender (CSA&G) University of Pretoria, in collaboration with the Center for Gender Studies and Feminist Futures (CGS) and the Center for Conflict Studies (CCS) at the Philipps-University Marburg, hosted the series finale of the Pretoria-Marburg Queer Conversations.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, is concerned about the unwarranted and unlawful assaults on lawyers using brutal acts of violence and the criminal justice system in two autocratic states preparing for elections within the next two months. The governments of Zimbabwe and Eswatini will hold elections in August and September 2023, respectively, in an atmosphere of fear and intimidation of dissenting voices.
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The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, is convening a conference whose theme is ‘Climate Change and Disability in Africa: A Human Rights Response.’ The aim of the conference is two-fold: 1) to critically appraise laws, policies, practices, programmes, polities and ideologies that relate to the rights of persons with disabilities in Africa, in the context of climate change and 2) to suggest remedial responses (domestically, regionally and globally) to address violations of the rights of persons with disabilities in climate crises. The conference will be held in hybrid format from 20 – 21 November 2023. It is anticipated that papers presented at this conference will be reworked by authors and submitted for consideration for publication in the 2024 volume of the African Disability Rights Yearbook. www.adry.up.ac.za
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From the 20th to the 22nd of June 2023, the University of Pretoria’s (UP) faculty of law, Centre for Human Rights’(CHR), Expression, Information and Digital Rights Unit, in collaboration with the Transformation Resource Centre (TRC), hosted a digital rights capacity-building workshop for parliamentarians in Maseru, Lesotho.
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On 30 June 2023, in Menlyn, Pretoria, esteemed jurists and legal experts gathered to enhance their knowledge and awareness of LGBTIQ+ issues in South Africa. The event was part of an ongoing Equality Courts project, sponsored by the European Union, empowering communities, and presiding officers in the fight for equality and justice.
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Janet Gbam, a Doctoral student and the programme manager of the Masters Programme in Multidisciplinary Human Rights at the Centre for Human Rights, recently participated in the Education and Democratic Citizenship Conference (ICEDC) and Human Rights Education Review. The conference took place from 12-13 June 2023, focusing on the theme of ‘Human Rights and Education: Past, Present, and Future’.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria and the Faculty of Law, University of Nairobi cordially invite you to a launch of two publications recently published by the Pretoria University Law Press. The two publications will be launched in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol). The Maputo Protocol turns 20 on 11 July 2023.
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The South African Human Rights Commission, in collaboration with the Department of Education, The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development and the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, cordially invite student volunteers at the University of Pretoria, whohave experience in mooting to apply to be a marker of essays in the central marking process for the National School Moot Court Programme.
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The year 2023 marks 75 years since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was passed, yet the passing of Human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko on 21 January 2023 has demonstrated the long fight for human rights and democracy continues. With nearly half a year passed since the death of Thulani Maseko, there is still no justice and accountability.
“We are caught between hope and fear - hope for democracy and fear of being assassinated.” – Thulani Maseko.
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The Centre for Human Rights, the Centre for Child Law both at the Faculty of Law at the University of Pretoria, and the Dullah Omar Institute at the Faculty of Law at the University of the Western Cape successfully hosted the annual Advanced Human Rights Course on Children's Rights in Africa from 19 to 23 June 2023.
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Henok Ashagrey, a passionate Doctoral student and Tutor for the LLM/MPhil (Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa) program at the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, had an amazing opportunity to participate in a cutting-edge workshop titled 'Humour and Human Rights: Humour, a less explored tool to advance human rights.'
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, invites you to join the inaugural Christof Heyns Memorial Lecture in memory of the manifold contribution of the late Professor Christof Heyns to human rights.
Venue: University of Pretoria, Aula
Date: Friday 28 July 2023
Time: 16:30 for 17:00
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria invites applications from litigators and other stakeholders passionate about sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), for a capacity building training on litigation of SRHR claims before national and regional mechanisms in Africa. The training is scheduled to take place from 3-4 August 2023 in Pretoria, South Africa.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria (Centre) and KADIRAT, Tunisia hosted a three-day Workshop on State Reporting under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the African Charter) and the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (the Maputo Protocol) from 15 to 17 June 2023 in Tunis, Tunisia. The overall objective of the workshop was to strengthen Tunisia’s capacity to comply with its state reporting obligations under the African Charter and the Maputo Protocol. The Workshop was also aimed at disseminating information to non-governmental stakeholders on the African human rights system.
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With the aim of harnessing the role of the media in positively influencing public attitudes through accurate, human-rights-based, and context-sensitive reporting on issues relating to migrants, the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria (Centre), in partnership with the European Union Delegation in South Africa, conducted training for journalists, other media practitioners, and social media influencers.
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The second session of the 2023 Pretoria-Marburg Queer Conversations took place on Africa Day, 25 May, in a joint effort by the Centre for Human Rights (CHR), Faculty of Law and the Centre for Sexualities, AIDS, and Gender (CSA&G), University of Pretoria, along with the Centre for Gender Studies and Feminist Futures (CGS) and the Centre for Conflict Studies (CCS) at the Philipps-University Marburg. These conversations have emerged from a shared interest in addressing LGBTIQ+ and queer identities among the participating centres.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria (Centre), cordially invite you to a panel discussion on the decision of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights of the Child (African Children’s Committee), communication No: 0012/Com/001/2019, Legal and Human Rights Centre and Centre for Reproductive Rights (on behalf of Tanzanian girls) v United Republic of Tanzania (Reproductive Rights case).
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The Center for African Studies at Howard University, with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Africa Bureau, is offering a 4-week professional development course on Humanitarian Security for practitioners and graduate students in Summer 2023.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria (Centre) is pleased to invite alumni of the Centres's master’s programme to participate in the Alumni Networking Roundtable which are scheduled to be held on Thursday 27 July 2023 at the University of Pretoria. The Roundtable will consist of five thematic sessions and an alumni networking meeting.
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The Centre for Human Rights is deeply saddened by the sudden passing of one of our alumni from the Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa (HRDA) Master’s programme, Professor Aifheli Enos Tshivhase. According to the latest updates, the cause of his untimely death was attributed to a collapse at his home on Wednesday 7 June. Unfortunately, we did not receive any more detailed information.
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The concept of intersectionality was first introduced by Kimberlé Crenshaw to describe how Black women experience multiple forms of oppression and discrimination that cannot be understood or addressed solely by looking at race or gender separately. However, the concept has since been expanded to include other forms of oppression and marginalization beyond race and gender, such as class, sexuality, ability, and age. Disability scholars such as Rosemarie Garland-Thomson, Kim Nielsen, Simi Linton and many others used the concept of intersectionality in demonstrating how social constructions of disability intersect with other social categories to create conditions of discrimination and marginalization. Rosemarie Garland-Thomson has argued that disability is not just a medical condition, but also a social and cultural category that intersects with other identities, to frame the experiences of persons with disabilities.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, is organising a capacity-building workshop on engagement with the African human rights system for African civil society organisations (CSOs). The capacity-building workshop is a two-day training workshop scheduled for Friday 12-13 October 2023.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria in collaboration with the University of eSwatini faculty of law, Law Society of eSwatini and CANGO cordially invites you to the Inaugural Memorial lecture in honour of its alumnus, Thulani Rudolf Maseko.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, welcomes the appointment of Lindiwe Khumalo as the new Clerk of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP). This appointment comes at a crucial juncture for the PAP. Over the past couple of years, uncertainty and institutional challenges have persisted, including the presence of an acting Clerk for over a year.
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The Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2023, became law in Uganda on 26 May 2023, after President Yoweri Museveni had assented to the Bill. This recent development is the culmination of a process that has defied reason in its bid to erase the rights and dignity of sexual and gender minorities in Uganda, and in respect of which the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria (Centre), expressed deep concern for the inevitable violation of human rights that will occur.
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Over two days, 25 and 26 May 2023, the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria in collaboration with the National Council for Children’s Services and Ministry of Labour and Social Protection convened in Nairobi Kenya for the second workshop on promoting child participation in development frameworks in Africa and strengthening the African base of the Global Child Leading Team.
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The Pretoria-Marburg Queer Conversations team hosted Dr Bev Ditsie in an online webinar titled 'Where is the joy? Portrayals and depictions of LGBTIQ+ persons'. The event took place on Freedom Day, 27 April wich falls during International Lesbian Week of Visibility, and was attended by colleagues and networks working with the affiliated Centres at the University of Pretoria and Phillips-Marburg. Bev Ditsie is a renowned lesbian activist, artist, and filmmaker.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria is concerned with the gross and systemic human rights violations targeted at human rights defenders, political activists, and civil society actors; because of calls for greater reforms in Eswatini’s political governance system.
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On 15 – 19 May 2023, the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria (the Centre) hosted an Advanced Human Rights Course on Women's Rights in Africa.
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Director Position - Closing date for application extended to 31 May 2023.
After some 15 years at the helm of the Centre for Human Rights, the current Director (Professor Frans Viljoen) will stand down from the position (while staying on with the Centre as professor of international human rights law). The closing date for applications is 31 May 2023; interested persons should please apply through the UP website
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South Africa, like the rest of Africa – and the world – celebrates ‘Africa Day’ today. This day, 25 May, is the date on which, 60 years ago, the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) was founded. The OAU was in 2002 transformed into the African Union (AU), with its inaugural session being held in Durban, South Africa, on 9 July 2002. Because the roots of ‘formalised pan-Africanism’ are traced back to 1963, the date of the OAU’s founding still marks ‘Africa Day’.
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At an historic meeting on 19 May 2023 at the Pan African Parliament (PAP), in Midrand, a group of civil society organisations, under the umbrella of the PAP Civil Society Organisations (CSO) Forum, for the first time formally met with Members of the PAP (MPAPs) in a Parliamentary Dialogue as part of the PAP’s May 2023 ongoing session. The meeting signalled the recognition by the PAP of the importance of civil society, and the ambition of the PAP to be a genuine peoples’ parliament. The PAP CSO Forum PAP presented recommendations to the MPAPs pertaining to the relationship between the PAP and civil society, human rights, peace and security, the Free Movement of Peoples Protocol and the Malabo PAP Protocol. MPAP Pemmy Majodina, Chief Whip of the ANC, chairing the Parliamentary Dialogue, undertook that the recommendations would be further discussed by the relevant PAP Committees, and that part of the PAP’s next session would be devoted to discussing them.
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On 17 May 2023, the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria (Centre) commemorated the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT). The Centre commemorated the day by hosting two events centred around this year’s theme of ‘together always: united in Diversity’, in collaboration with its networking partners Alliance Française, the South African Institute for Advanced Constitutional, Public, Human Rights and International Law (SAIFAC), at the University of Johannesburg, with the support of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands.
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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.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria (Centre) is the regional headquarters of Global Campus Africa and presents the masters in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa (HRDA) together with 12 partner universities from across Africa. The Centre is one of seven (soon to be eight) regional hubs of the Global Campus of Human Rights, which each presents a masters programme in partnerships with universities in different regions of the world.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, in collaboration with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Commission), will host a 3 day conference on the implementation and domestic impact of the decisions of the African Commission. The Conference will be held from 13-15 September 2023 at the Southern Sun Hotel, in Pretoria, South Africa. (‘Decisions’ refer to findings and recommendations in individual communications; recommendations in Concluding Observations on state reports; as well as thematic and country specific recommendations in various reports, resolutions and other soft law instruments adopted by the African Commission.)
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One of the members of the Communications team of the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, David Ikpo, at the UP Graduation Ceremony on 15 May 2023 added a doctoral degree qualification to the honours degree in ‘motion pictures’ he had obtained earlier this year.
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On 10 May 2023, the Centre for Human Rights,Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria hosted a Panel Discussion on the Anglophone Crisis, moderated by Smith Naseri Edumebong. Ntokozo Sibanyoni welcomed all the participants in physical attendance and virtually, with over 80 participants joining the discussion and others following the event Live on the Centre’s YouTube Channel accessible here.
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On 8 May 2023, the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, submitted a complaint on behalf of two South African citizens, Mr Sello Tsolo and Mr Tjoko Kambule, to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) against the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
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The Centre for Hunan Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria is deeply concerned about the ongoing Anglophone crisis in Cameroon, characterised by non-state armed groups in the North-West participating in violent conflict with the government of Cameroon over perceived discrimination on the basis of language.
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On 4-5 May, the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria hosted a civil society engagement with the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) SADC Chapter in partnership with the Mozambique Human Rights Defenders Network and The Southern Africa Human Rights Defenders for this two day workshop.
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The South African Institute for Advanced Constitutional, Public, Human Rights and International Law and the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria invite you to an online seminar titled ‘The Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Bill – does it Constitute an International Crime?’
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, delivered its statement on the human rights situation in Africa at the ongoing 75th session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Commission), on 4 May 2023.
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Statement by the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, observer status no 116 to African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, at its 75th Ordinary Session, banjul, the gambia, may 2023, on the situation of human rights in Africa.
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The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria and Ghent University, Belgium, hosted their annual advanced human rights course on the African human rights system in comparative perspective, with 40 in person participants and 30 online participants. Participants were drawn from a variety of sectors including legal practitioners, human rights advocates, civil servants and academics and included students on the Centre’s master’s programme in human rights and democratisation in Africa. Participants came from 19 African and two European countries.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, in partnership with the European Union Delegation in South Africa, seek to implement a structured training to strengthen the role of journalists and emerging media outlets and practitioners on accurate, human-rights based, and sensitive reporting on issues relating to migrants and refugees to counter xenophobia and other forms of intolerance towards foreigners.
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On 2 May 2023, the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, hosted a hybrid side event on Resolution 552 on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Intersex persons in Africa. The side event was hosted at the 75th Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR/the African Commission), as part of the Centre’s continued regional engagement on the rights of LGBTQI+ people in Africa. The side event was organised by the SOGIESC (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sexual Characteristics) Unit in collaboration with the Africa Civil Society Engagement (ACSE). It was attended by numerous civil society organisations, human rights scholars, and activists from within and outside Africa.
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The Centre for Human Rights,Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, invites you to a panel discussion addressing the armed conflict and human rights violations in Anglophone Cameroon. The Anglophone conflict has intensified progressively, characterised by mass human displacement, a breakdown in law and order, social catastrophe, extreme violence against civilians and multiple serious human rights violations.
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Justice Johann van der Westhuizen, retired judge of the South African Constitutional Court, delivering a public lecture at the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, underlined the importance of progressively realising the socio-economic rights guaranteed under the South African Constitution. He made a specific plea for the government to report annually to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) on the extent to which it is realising socio-economic rights.
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The Disability Rights Unit at the Centre for Human Rights held a two-day regional convening on access to justice for persons with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities from 2 to 3 May 2023 at Capital Hotel Menlyn Maine in Pretoria, South Africa. Titled Court accommodations for persons with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities in southern Africa, the convening was a follow-up to the first convening held in May 2022.
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The Centre for Human Rights of the University of Pretoria, invites you to a panel discussion addressing the conflict situation and human rights violations in Cameroon.
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The 2023 World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) day is commemorated under the theme: ‘Shaping a Future of Rights: Freedom of Expression as a Driver for all Other Human Rights.’ On this occasion, the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria (the Centre) recalls the 2019 Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa (the Declaration) which frames freedom of expression as a cross-cutting fundamental human right that is a cornerstone of democracy and a means of ensuring respect for other human rights (civil and political rights and socio-economic rights). As a basic and enabling right, freedom of expression can also potentially contribute to the much-needed socio-economic development and democratic transformation in Africa.
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On 27 April 2023, the Centre for Human Rights’ Expression, Information and Digital Rights Unit (EIDR) in collaboration with Youth and Society (YAS) of Malawi, hosted a webinar on the status of implementation of the Malawi Access to Information Act. The webinar was moderated by Chrispin Bosire, Smith Naseri Edumebong and Idirashe Amanda Chikomba, from the EIDR clinic. The speakers were drawn from stakeholders in Malawi that are contributing to the implementation of the Act. These are Mandy Pondani (Media Institute of Southern Africa-MISA Malawi), Mwandida Theu (Youth and Society), Chance Kalolokeska (Malawi Human Rights Commission) and Authur Chipenda (Malawi Ministry of Information and Digitisation). The webinar is part of the Centre for Human Rights’ commemoration of 10 Years of the Model Law on Access to Information for Africa that was adopted by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in 2013, to provide legislative guidance to member states of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ on the implementation of article 9 of the African Charter which provides for the right of access to information.
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The Centre for Human Rights (CHR) attended the 22nd meeting of the CSO Forum for the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, held from 26 - 27 April 2023, in Maseru, Kingdom of Lesotho. The meeting was organised ahead of the 41st Session of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child meeting from 28th April to 6 May 2023, in Maseru, Kingdom of Lesotho.
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On 26th April 2023, the Centre for Human Rights organized a Webinar to present its report findings on the African Development Bank's (AfDB) response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa. The objective of the webinar was to present the study and evaluate the AfDB's response to the public health and socio-economic challenges posed by the pandemic. The webinar also aimed to identify measures to enhance civil society's capacity to monitor AfDB activities to ensure transparency and accountability for AfDB-funded projects.
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Celebrating Worker’s Day in South Africa on 1 May 2023 has a hollow ring to it. Commemorating the achievements of the labour movement, including many important improvements to working conditions, and celebrating the crucial role of the working class in our country’s past and present, are overshadowed by the alarmingly high unemployment rate among South Africans. The precarious position of domestic workers demands more visibility about their rights and greater accountability for those who violate their rights. Acknowledging South Africa’s membership of the global community, and conscious of the undercurrent of xenophobia, consideration should be given to placing the rights of migrant workers on a firmer footing by ratifying the United Nations treaty on this theme.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, adds its voice to the regional and international condemnation and rejection of the ongoing conflict in Sudan. The Centre is of the view that the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council should seriously consider applying the principle of non-indifference, set out in article 4(h) of the AU Constitutive Act. This provision allows the AU to intervene in the situation prevailing in Sudan, in order to protect civilians.
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From 17 to 21 April 2023, the University of Pretoria’s (UP) Centre for Human Rights (Centre) hosted its annual advanced one-week human rights course (AHRC) on the African human rights system in comparative perspective. It did so with support from the government of Flanders, and in collaboration with Ghent University, a leading Flemish university.
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On 27 April 1994, South Africa held its first non-racial, multi-party democratic elections. The apartheid regime was characterised by racial segregation, systemic inequality, political exclusion, unequal socio-economic development and discrimination. In April every year South Africa commemorates the long and hard-won struggle for freedom, equality, dignity, democracy, and universal suffrage of all its people. South Africa’s progressive 1996 Constitution was designed to transform society from apartheid’s authoritarian culture and segregation to a more equal and free society based on respect for human rights, rule of law and democracy. While South Africa has made significant progress towards building a more just and equal society, one cannot ignore the persistent challenges that many South Africans continue to face.
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On Saturday 15 April 2023, the Centre for Huma Rights (CHR) University of Pretoria honoured an invite to the documentary screening of ‘The Unexceptional Parent’ hosted at Bertha House in Cape Town.
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The South African public is invited to an Artist Talk to engage with artists on the exhibition at the Javett Art Centre at University of Pretoria on Freedom Day (27th April) from 14:00 to 16:00 pm. Entrance at the Centre on this day will be free of charge. The exhibition will run at the Javett Art Centre at the University of Pretoria from 27 April to 10 May 2023.
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On 24 April 2023, the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria (UP), and the Human Rights Implementation Centre, University of Bristol, in the United Kingdom, held a roundtable dialogue on exploring interdisciplinary approaches to the implementation and impact of human rights decisions.
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On 20 April 2023, the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria (CHR), and Public Interest Practice co-hosted a visiting Ukrainian delegation. During the meeting, which took place on the campus of the University of Pretoria, the conversation centred around the Russian invasion into Ukraine and its impact on the population in the country.
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The Centre for Human Rights of the University of Pretoria and Youth and Society (YAS), invites you to a webinar on the state of Access to Information (ATI) in Malawi. The webinar seeks to assess Malawi’s compliance with the international human rights practices on the right of access to information and to provide a platform for stakeholders working in the ATI sector to share insights on the implementation of Malawi’s Access to Information Act.
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The video is part of an advocacy project undertaken by the Centre for Human Rights in collaboration with its partner, the Amhara Association of America, addressing the plight of ethnic Amhara residents living in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia.
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On Friday 14 April 2023, the SOGIESC unit attended and presented at the Gender Dynamix Model Policy Framework (MPF) Launch and Colloquium convened by the Office for Inclusivity and Change (OIC) at the University of Cape Town (UCT), in collaboration with The Gender and Violence Prevention Unit also from the University of Cape Town. The launch follows the celebration of Trans Day of Visibility on 31 March 2023.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria (UP), recently formally bid farewell to an outstanding colleague and friend, Professor Danny Bradlow. Prof Bradlow is now based in UP’s Centre for the Advancement of Scholarship. Prof Danny Bradlow has been with us at the Centre for 15 years. He was a SARChI Professor of International Development Law and African Economic Relations and Head of the International Development Law Unit (IDLU).
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The Centre for Human Rights cordially invites you to a webinar on Monitoring the African Development Bank response to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Africa.
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The Expression, Information and Digital Rights (EIDR) Unit of the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria attended the Digital Rights Inclusion Forum (DRIF) held in Nairobi, Kenya from 12 - 14 April 2023. DRIF is a platform where conversations on digital policy in Africa are shaped, policy directions debated, and partnerships forged for action. The 2023 theme was ‘Building a sustainable Internet for all.’ Together with its consortium partners, Global Partners Digital (GPD), Article 19 West Africa, the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA), and PROTEGE QV, the Centre hosted a panel discussion titled ‘At what risk to rights and internet freedom? Examining government responses to disinformation’.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria (the Centre) denounces the conviction of Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere. Mahere, a prominent political activist and lawyer, was found guilty by a Harare Regional Magistrate on charges of publishing falsehoods emanating from a retweet where she shared information that a police officer had beaten to death a child with a baton in Harare. The Court held that she undermined the authority of the police through her tweet and noted that her conduct was reckless and detrimental to the State as it intended to undermine the police force and also erode public confidence in the law enforcement agents. The contentious charges carried an imprisonment term of up to 20 years and a fine. The Court opted to impose a fine of USD 500 on Mahere and not a prison sentence.
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On 4 April 2023, the Expression, Information and Digital Rights Unit, and the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zimbabwe, hosted an engagement workshop with political actors in Harare, Zimbabwe. The engagement workshop, which was attended by eight Members of Parliament and thirteen representatives from various government departments, discussed the role of political actors in promoting rights respecting approaches to tackling disinformation in Zimbabwe. The Centre for Human Rights (the Centre) was represented by Marystella Simiyu and Jared Gekombe. The workshop was facilitated by a panel of experts namely: Marystella Simiyu of Centre for Human Rights, Nompilo Simanje of International Press Institute, Rehyana Masters, independent expert, and Helen Sithole of MISA-Zimbabwe.
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From 12 to 14 April 2023, the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria (Centre) and the Robert F Kennedy Human Rights (RFK) hosted an Inter-Mechanism Dialogue between the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Commission) and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (Inter-American Commission) at the University of Pretoria.
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The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria in collaboration with Public Interest Practice cordially invites you to the delegation briefing on the current situation in Ukraine, discussing the impact of the war on South Africa and exploring opportunities for partnerships between Ukrainian and South African organisations.
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Ms Jane Connors United Nations' first Victims' Rights Advocate, was on a visit to South Africa to explore ways of dealing with alleged sexual abuse by South African soldiers while part of a Umiyed Nation's peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO)
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The Centre for Human Rights (the Centre) in partnership with Women in Law in Southern Africa (WLSA), Lesotho hosted a one-day stakeholders’ meeting on compliance with the concluding observations and recommendations under the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol). The meeting took place in Maseru, Lesotho on 13 April 2023.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Children’s Rights Unit, in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare, and the Global Campus for Human Rights, successfully conducted a two-day workshop in Lilongwe, Malawi. The workshop focused on promoting child participation in development frameworks in Africa and strengthening the African base of the Global Child Leading Team.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Children’s Rights Unit, in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare, and the Global Campus for Human Rights, successfully conducted the first day of a two-day workshop on promoting child participation in development frameworks in Africa and strengthening the African base of the Global Child Leading Team, held in Lilongwe, Malawi.
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On 3 April 2023, the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, held an advocacy meeting with the Minister of Justice of Namibia, Hon Yvonne Dausab, and other senior officials drawn from the Ministry of Justice, Home Affairs, and Disaster Management Directorate of the Office of the Prime Minister of the Government of Namibia. The meeting was aimed at stimulating a national conversation about the ratification by Namibia of three Protocols to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Charter), and the African Union (AU) Convention on the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons (‘Kampala’ Convention).
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria (the Centre) expresses concern over claims of retaliatory disciplinary proceedings against a senior judicial officer in Uganda, Justice Esther Kisaakye of the Supreme Court. The Centre understands that the country’s Judicial Service Commission commenced inquiry proceedings into the conduct of Justice Kisaakye after her dissenting decision in the 2021 Presidential election petition filed by opposition leader, Robert Kyagulanyi Sentamu (Bobiwine), against President Yoweri Museveni. In that Petition, the Supreme Court of Uganda denied a later application by Sentamu to be allowed more time to change the main application, stating it was late. Justice Kisaakye, however, dissented on the basis that the applicant's illegal house arrest hindered timely submission.
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Dans le cadre du Concours africain de procès simulé des droits de l'homme Christof Heyns, qui se déroulera du 3 au 9 septembre 2023, à la Faculté de droit de l'Université des sciences et technologies Kwame Nkrumah, Kumasi, Ghana, une conférence internationale d'une journée sur les droits de l'homme se tiendra également le 4 septembre 2023 sous le thème « L'Afrique que nous voulons : Combattre la discrimination, le changement climatique et la corruption ».
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The Centre for Human Rights at the end of March 2023, bid farewell to two outstanding alumni of the Master’s programme in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa (HRDA), who also served the Centre as invaluable staff members. The Centre has been fortunate to be a teacher and a witness of the personal developments of Dr Ayodele Sogunro, who we all know as Ayo, and Johannes Buabeng-Baidoo. The following comes to mind:
‘If you are brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello’ – Paulo Coelho
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On 31 March 2023, the Expression, Information and Digital Rights Unit, Centre for Human Rights welcomed the team from Lawyers Hub Kenya. The delegation was led by the CEO and founder Linda Bonyo.
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The University of Dayton Human Rights Center, in collaboration with the Centre for Human Rights of the Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, and the Free State Centre for Human Rights of the Faculty of Law, University of the Free State, will host a joint convening, bringing together the 2023 Social Practice of Human Rights Conference and the 6th International Conference on the Right to Development, which will be held for the first time outside of the African continent.
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As part of the Christof Heyns African Human Rights Moot Court Competition, which takes place from 3 - 9 September 2023, at the Faculty of Law, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana, a one-day International Human Rights Conference will also be held on 4 September 2023 under the theme “The Africa We Want: Sexual and Gender minority rghts in Africa, Climate Change and Corruption”.
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Dr Michelle R. Maziwisa is the new Programme Manager for the Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa (HRDA) Masters Programme at the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria. Maziwisa previously served as a postdoctoral researcher at the Dullah Omar Institute, at the University of Western Cape, Cape Town. She is a recipient of the prestigious Ronald Watts Young Scholar Award for her essay on External Economic Arrangements and South African Cities as Agents of Local Development. Her work on women’s rights is broad and includes sexual and reproductive rights, representation and participation in democratic processes, and feminist trade justice.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria (Centre), is proud to commemorate Trans Day of Visibility, which falls every year and is celebrated internationally on 31 March. This day is an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the contributions of trans gender and gender diverse individuals in our society, and to raise awareness of the challenges and discrimination that they face. Trans Day of Visibility Founder Rachel Crandall-Crocker, a Michigan-based and licensed psychotherapist and transgender advocate, chose the month of March to not to ‘step on the toes’ of other Trans Day of Remembrance on 20 November or American Pride Month in June.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, invites you to webinar series on decisions of African human rights bodies with the goal of increasing awareness and understanding among relevant stakeholders about the jurisprudence of African human rights bodies. The webinar series serves as a platform for analysing the normative aspects of recent human rights decisions made by AHRBs, diagnosing and identifying the challenges to the implementation of these decisions, and devising strategies for their effective implementation.
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The Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria in partnership with Pretoria University Law Press (PULP) invites you to the book launch of Technological innovation (4IR) in law teaching and learning: Enhancement or drawback during Covid-19? edited by Prof Charles Maimela (2022).
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The Pretoria Student Law Review (PSLR) is now accepting original research articles, case notes as well as book reviews for the 2023 (vol 17) publication for the (i) Annual Edition, on any topic in law and its related disciplines, and for the special section on Gender and the Law Contributions should be in line with the PSLR Style and Submission Guidelines.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of law, University of Pretoria (CHR) and the Centre for Sexualities, AIDS, and Gender, University of Pretoria (CSA&G) condemn the passing of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill by the Parliament of Uganda on 21 March 2023.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, with the support of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, cordially invites you to apply for its Capacity Building Workshop on Strategic Litigation and Advocacy for human rights defenders working on the promotion and protection of the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and other non-binary and gender-nonconforming persons in Africa.
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On 23 March 2023, the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria (the Centre) in partnership with the University of Antwerp, Belgium hosted a Roundtable dialogue on litigating the right to development in domestic courts in Africa. The dialogue was held alongside the visit of the King and Queen of Belgium to South Africa. The dialogue was conducted in a hybrid format with both physical and virtual participants including, delegates from the Government of Belgium and Flanders, Academic partners from the Free State Centre for Human Rights, University of Free State, University of Antwerp, University of Ghent, Université Saint-Louis-Bruxelles, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium, Civil Society actors and human rights practitioners and students from the Centre for Human Rights among others.
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On 4 March 2023, the Centre for Human Rights SOGIESC Unit team was in Cape Town to commemorate the final event on the World Pride calendar. The Pride Festival, hosted by Cape Town Pride and Outreach Africa, was supported by various organisations involved in the realisation of rights and freedoms of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, questioning, intersex, non-binary, asexual, polysexual, genderqueer and gender variant people (LGBTIQ+) community throughout the African region.
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The Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) Unit, in collaboration with Gender Equality and Anti-Discrimination Office (GEADO) at the Unit for Institutional Change and Social Justice, University of Free State recently hosted a one day training workshop on 18 March 2023 aimed at equipping members and allies of the LGBTI+ community in South Africa with the knowledge and capacity to access the Equality Court through lodging civil claims. The training is part of a larger project to host trainings on accessing Equality Courts throughout South Africa in order to empower LGBTI+ communities to claim their rights.
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The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, is proud to announce the open-access publication of volume six (2022) of the African Human Rights Yearbook and volume four of the African Court Law Report (covering case decided in 2020) both published under the Pretoria University Law Press (PULP).
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On 22 March 2023, the Centre for Human Rights Democracy and Civic Engagement Unit convened a Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) dialogue in partnership with the European Union that interrogated the state of human rights in South. The event aimed to create a space for an exchange of ideas among members of civil society, to identify the main challenges and possible priority actions for civil society - particularly in respect of migration, socio-economic, LGBTQ+ and persons with disabilities rights.
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‘Badudwan’ is a practice in Ghana where a man is given a cow in recognition of him have borne 10 children. In the process the woman who has been put under pressure to carry all 10 (or more) pregnancies is ignored. Organisations might be allowed into school to discuss sexuality education for adolescents but personal convictions of staff block the distribution of contraceptive products to the youth. These are only some of the issues that have come up in the discussions on sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) in Ghana during a training organised by the Women’s Rights Unit, Centre for Human Rights in collaboration with WiLDAF Ghana from 16-17 March 2023. The meeting is part of the project funded by the Swedish International Development Corporation (SIDA). The project is aimed at strengthening SRHR in Africa.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria (Centre), commends the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Commission) on taking a meaningful step forward in the pursuit of equality and justice for intersex persons in Africa by for the first time in its history adopting a legal text on the rights of intersex persons in Africa. This text takes the form of a resolution titled ‘Resolution 552 on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Intersex Persons in Africa’. In it, the Commission calls on African states to protect the rights of intersex children by ending non-consensual genital normalising practices and to promote intersex person’s rights through education and sensitisation.
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This message is announcing the celebration of an International Conference organized by the Pedro Arrupe Institute of Human Rights of the University of Deusto in the framework of the Association of Human Rights Institutes (AHRI) between 7 and 9 September 2023 at the University of Deusto in Bilbao.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, welcomes the recent court order by the Equality Court holding singer Steve Hofmeyr accountable for discriminatory and queerphobic comments made on his Facebook account in April 2022.
The Gqeberha High Court, sitting as the Equality Court, ordered Hofmeyr to release an unconditional apology on his social media platforms. Hofmeyr did so soon after the case was concluded, observing as follows: ‘I regret the hurt and offence caused as a result of the comments and apologise unconditionally to members of the LGBTQ+ community as well as any other member of public that was offended by my comments.’
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The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, commends the National Assembly of South Africa for passing the Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Bill (Bill) on 15 March 2023. This legislation marks a significant step towards the protection of all South Africans against hate crimes and hate speech, particularly those based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or any other form of discrimination.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, welcomes the recent court order by the Equality Court holding singer Steve Hofmeyr accountable for discriminatory and queerphobic comments made on his Facebook account in April 2022.
Statement on Human Rights Day: Government should take the promise to ‘leave no one behind’ seriously
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21 March 2023
The theme of 2023 Human Rights Day is ‘Leave no one behind’. This phrase is a pillar of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It highlights that discrimination has a legal dimension, but emphasises that exclusion and maginalisation is also material. It is in the first place people who live in conditions of poverty who are ‘left behind’ in South Africa. Unemployment is sky high, especially among the youth. Almost 40 percent of South Africans experience some form of food insecurity.
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On Friday 10 March 2023, the Centre for Human Rights (Centre) hosted its annual official Academic Opening Ceremony to welcome and introduce the new Master’s students from five of the academic programmes offered by the Centre, as well as newly registered doctoral candidates. This is an annual event which celebrates future African leaders in the area of human rights, democracy and related fields. This year, the Centre celebrated 20 years of one of these Master’s programmes, the Trade an Investment Law in Africa (TILA) programme.
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The Advanced Human Rights Courses (AHRC), in collaboration with the Disability Rights Unit of the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria (UP), recently hosted the annual short course on Disability Rights in an African Context, from 6 – 10 March 2023. The short course was held in a hybrid format; on zoom and at the SRC chambers based at the University of Pretoria.
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On 14 - 15 March 2023 in Accra, Ghana the Women’s Rights Unit met with Ghanaian government representatives and civil society organisations to facilitate a workshop on strengthening compliance with Ghana’s state reporting obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Charter) and the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol).
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The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria in partnership with the University of Antwerp with support of the Flemish government cordially invite you to Roundtable Dialogue on Litigation of the Right to Development in Domestic Courts in Africa
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The Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition together with the Christof Heyns African Human Rights Moot Court Competition invite mooters from across the world to join in an a workshop for memorial writing skills. The panel of memorial markers will share their excerpt advise and tips on acing the memorial round of any moot competition.
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Centre for Human Rights, doctoral candidate Brian Kibirango is the latest recipient of the Christof Heyns memorial scholarship. The Christof Heyns Human Rights Scholarship was instituted in memory of renowned human rights scholar, Christof Heyns, who was a professor of human rights law at the University of Pretoria until his untimely death in March 2021.
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The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria welcomed the third cohort of master’s students on the LLM/MPhil Disability Rights in Africa (DRIA) programme during an orientation week (Week Zero) which was held from 3 to 4 March 2023.
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To celebrate International Women's Day (IWD) this year, the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, seeks to accredit the potential for women to benefit socially and economically from the digital revolution. Yet, there is also a chance that it will reinforce current patterns of gender inequity. Despite numerous substantial initiatives, there is still a sizable gender gap in the digital world, which prevents high-, low-, and middle-income countries from equally reaping the rewards of digital transformation.
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The Advanced Human Rights Courses (AHRC) and the Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) Unit at the Centre for Human Rights (the ‘Centre’), University of Pretoria (UP) recently hosted the 2023 edition of the annual short course on Sexual Minority Rights in Africa. The course was presented through both virtual and physical sessions from 20 to 24 February 2023 and was attended by 70 participants with 15 presenters from both across and outside Africa. Participants included LLM/MPhil students in both the Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa (HRDA) and the Sexual and Reproductive Rights in Africa (SRRA) Masters programmes in the Faculty of Law, UP. Other participants included researchers, academics, judicial officers, government workers, officials of selected National Human Rights Institutions, and members of civil society.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria commends the Supreme Court of Kenya on its decision upholding the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission’s right to register as a non-governmental organisation with the words ‘gay’ and ‘lesbian’ in its title.
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In pursuit of the ideals of excellence and diversity, the University of Pretoria wishes to invite applications for the Senior Lecture vacancy. The University of Pretoria's commitment to quality makes us one of the top research Universities in the country and gives us a competitive advantage in international science and technology development.
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On 27 February 2023, the Disability Rights Unit at the Centre for Human Rights hosted a dialogue on the newly adopted Guidelines_on_Deinstitutionalization.pdf, including in Emergencies (‘the Guidelines’). The adoption of the Guidelines was announced by the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on 9 September 2022. The primary objective of the Guidelines is to provide guidance to States Parties on how to ensure that persons with disabilities realise the right to live independently and to be included in the community as stipulated in article 19 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, with a focus on the deinstitutionalisation process. The dialogue sought to introduce stakeholders to the substantive content of the Guidelines and to examine their use in African advocacy initiatives to promote the right to live independently and be included in the community.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria (Centre) condemns the racist remarks made by the President of Tunisia and the arbitrary arrest, detention and forced eviction of African migrants in Tunisia.
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In pursuit of the ideals of excellence and diversity, the University of Pretoria wishes to invite applications for the Associate Professor/Professor vacancy. The University of Pretoria's commitment to quality makes us one of the top research Universities in the country and gives us a competitive advantage in international science and technology development.
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The Pretoria Student Law Review (PSLR) is now accepting original research articles, and the traditional reviews published in the past, for the 2023 (Volume 17) edition on any topic in law and its related disciplines.
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The African Moot and the Migration Unit of the Centre for Human Rights held a movie screening titled ‘African Moot’ on 15 February 2023 for CSOs in South Africa dealing with refugees and migrants.
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INVITATION FOR CONTRIBUTIONS
We invite abstracts for articles and case discussions proposing to make ground-breaking academic-style contributions to the human rights discourse in Africa. Although the contributions are expected to take a continental (African) approach to the issues they cover, country-specific or sub-regional level case studies that relate to the African regional human rights system will also be considered. In so far as methodology is concerned, contributions adopting multidisciplinary and empirical approaches are highly encouraged.
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On February 6, 2023, Amhara Association of America (AAA) and Centre for Human Rights, Pretoria University (CHR) submitted a complaint to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights against the Ethiopian Government. The complaint is made on behalf of ethnic Amhara residents in West Wollega, East Wollega, Horo Guduru Wollega, Qelem Wollega and West Shewa Zones of the Oromia Region who faced mass atrocities at the hand of state and non-state armed forces and militias. The complaint argues that the Ethiopian state bears responsibility for human rights violations committed by its agents, including the Oromia Special Forces (OSF), such as extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, property destruction, communication blackouts, violent dispersal of peaceful protests, and displacement. It is also submitted that the lack of adequate efforts on the part of the state to halt the atrocities and human rights violations committed by the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) or punish those responsible for violating the obligation of states to ensure the rights and freedoms of all individuals within its jurisdictions is not respected, thereby depriving the Amhara residents of several substantive rights in the African Charter.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, calls for applications for full-time doctoral scholarships in the field of sexual and/ or reproductive rights in the African region.
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The Centre for Human Rights Disability Rights Unit invites you to a dialogue on the newly adopted guidelines on deinstitutionalisation.
The dialogue seeks to:
- Introduce stakeholders to the substantive content of the guidelines
- Interrogate the practical application of the guidelines in African countries
- Examine the use of the guidelines in advocacy initiatives to promote the right to live independently and be included in the community
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The Litigation and Implementation Unit of the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, is recruiting for a part-time position of Student Project Associate under an eight month contract beginning on 1 April 2023 and ending on 30 November 2023, renewable based on satisfactory performance and continued funding.
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On 1 and 2 February 2023, the Office of the President of the Republic of South Africa (the Presidency) in partnership with the Women’s Rights Unit, Centre for Human Rights held a workshop to review commissioned reports from 25 African countries on discriminatory laws related to violence against women on the African continent (VAW).
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On 1 February 2023, the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria’s (UP) entered into an agreement with the Swedish Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) for the implementation of a project aimed at strengthening the protection of sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) in Africa. The duration of the agreement is three years, commencing in February 2023 and runs until January 2026.
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The Centre for Human Rights cordially invites you to Thulani Maseko`s memorial service under the theme: "Defending Civic Space and Protecting Human Rights Defenders in Southern Africa".
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Venue: Law Auditorium, Room 1-54 of the Law Building. University of Pretoria
Date: 3 February 2023 14:30 – 16:45 (SAST)
RSVP: inmemoryofthulani@gmail.com before 3 February 2023
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Thulani Rudolf Maseko (1 March 1970 - 21 January 2023)
It is with great shock and profound sadness that we at the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, learnt about the assassination of Thulani Maseko on 21 January 2023. He was shot dead in front of his family in his home south of Mbabane, Eswatini, in what can only be described as a targeted killing.
Our deepest sympathy goes to his wife and family in this difficult and traumatising time.
