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The Gender Unit with funding from the Irish Aid recently hosted the gender mainstreaming training from 16 - 20 September 2013 at the University of Pretoria. This training targets government officials, Irish Aid NGO partners and university staff and is designed to expose a key group of participants to the theory and practice of gender mainstreaming. This year’s participants ranged from representatives of the Philippines, Tanzania and Ethiopia. Also included were participants from various NGOs in Zimbabwe and South Africa as well as representatives from the Department of Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities and the University of Pretoria.
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On 6 and 7 December 2012, at a conference convened by the Centre for Human Rights in collaboration with the Department of Political Sciences, University of Pretoria, a group of interdisciplinary academics, policymakers and practitioners in the areas of international peace and security with a special focus on Africa, considered and affirmed the Pretoria Principles on ending mass atrocities pursuant to Article 4(h) of the Constitutive Act of the African Union, set out below.
These Principles are intended to provide greater clarity and inform action by the African Union, sub-regional actors, governments and practitioners on how to enhance their respective roles in ending mass atrocities in Africa pursuant to Article 4(h), which provides for ‘the right of the Union to intervene in a Member State pursuant to a decision of the Assembly in respect of grave circumstances, namely: war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity’.
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The Centre for Human Rights at the Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria is hosting an academic conference on disability rights in Africa on the theme ‘Overcoming obstacles: towards the effective implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in Africa'.
The Conference will be held at University of Pretoria, SRC Chambers on Tuesday, 5 and Wednesday 6 November 2013. The conference will coincide with the launch of first issue of the African Disability RightsYearbook on the evening of 5 November.
It is anticipated that papers presented at the 5 November conference would be subsequently re-worked for consideration for publication in the 2014 issue of the African Disability Rights Yearbook.
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After a competing vigorously in the preliminary rounds, the 54 teams participating in the 22nd African Human Rights Moot Court Competition were cut down to the 6 teams competing in the final for the first prize.
This year, the following teams advanced to the final round of the Moot Competition: University of Stellenbosch (South Africa), Universidade Eduardo Mondlane (Mozambique) and Université Libre de Kinshasa (DRC) as Applicants and Moi University (Kenya), Catholic Universidade de Angola and Université des Lagunes CIDD (Côte d’Ivoire) as Respondents.
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On 3 and 4 September 2013, the preliminary rounds of the 22nd African Human Rights Moot Court competition were held at the Great Hall, University of the Western Cape.
During these rounds, faculty representatives act as judges where participants have to battle a hypothetical human rights court case before the bench.
The competition is tri-lingual (English, French and Portuguese) and the best two teams from each language group are to appear in the final rounds. After two gruelling days in the courts, the following teams were chosen as finalists that will advance to the final rounds:
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The twenty-second African Human Rights Moot Court competition, hosted by the University of the Western Cape marks not only the 22nd year that this competition has been running, but also the twentieth year since the creation and implementation of South Africa’s interim constitution. The competition aims to bring together human rights lawyers from every corner of the African continent and aspires to create awareness and informed individuals that will use their skills and knowledge to the betterment of the continent.
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The Gender Unit organised a 3-day workshop from 21 - 23 August in Dakar on state reporting on the African Women's Rights Protocol in collaboration with the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women in Africa, Commissioner Soyata Maiga. The objectives of the workshop were to popularise the guidelines on state reporting under the Protocol and to strengthen understanding of state reporting obligations in accordance with the Guidelines.
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From 20 to 21 August 2013, the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa, Commissioner Pansy Tlakula, in collaboration with the Centre for Human Rights and the Media Institute for Southern Africa (MISA) Regional Secretariat, held a stakeholders meeting on decriminalisation of laws limiting freedom of expression and on the safety of journalists for southern Africa, in Pretoria, South Africa.
This meeting brought together government officials, national human rights institutions, national journalist associations as well as civil society organisations from 11 southern African countries (Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe, to discuss issues related to the decriminalisation of laws which criminalise freedom of expression and the safety of journalists and the issue of impunity in southern Africa.
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The International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court on the occasion of the 100th Anniversary of the Peace Palace in The Hague
The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in cooperation with the Institute for International and Comparative Law in Africa in the Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria kindly invites you to an exclusive lecture by Professor John Dugard, Judge ad hoc at the International Court of Justice and a respondent address by Honourable Ebrahim Ebrahim MP, Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation followed by a moderated discussion.
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Prof Frans Viljoen, the Director of the Centre for Human Rights, delivered the 11th University of Pretoria Expert Lecture on 12 June 2013.
The theme of Prof Viljoen's public lecture was 'Equal rights in a time of homophobia: An argument for equal legal protection of ‘sexual minorities’ in Africa.
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The International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) in conjunction with the Centre for Human Rights (CHR) hosted a workshop on freedom of association and civil society laws in Africa from 11 to 12 July 2013. The workshop was aimed at academia, civil society and practitioners in particular.
Representatives from all over Africa attended the event, which included presentations by experts in the field of civil society laws and its implications.
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During the 2013 edition of the Global Classroom, students and professors came together to strengthen and deepen the integration of the Master’s Programmes and Diplomas in Human Rights and Democratisation sponsored by the European Union under the aegis of the Global Campus (GC).
The discussions were enriched with the participation of special lecturers including Mr. Olivier De Schutter, the UN Special Rapporteur on Food, and Mr. Christian Strohal from the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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Prof Michelo Hansungule, Professor of human rights law at the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria has been tasked to head an Election Observer Mission to Zimbabwe during the end of July. The Mission will be dispatched by the Southern Africa Development Community-Lawyers’ Association (SADC-LA), currently running a programme on Governance and Democracy in the SADC region.
The objective of the programme is to contribute towards democratic electoral processes in the SADC region. The organisation has been accredited by the Zimbabwe Elections Commission on the 1st of July 2013 and will deploy 25 lawyers to observer the harmonised elections to be held on the 31st of July 2013.
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The Gender Unit organised a 3-day workshop on state reporting under the African Women's Rights Protocol (Protocol) from 10 - 12 June at the University of Pretoria. Government and civil society representatives from South Africa, Kenya, Mozambique, Malawi, Lesotho, and Zambia were invited. These countries were specifically targeted for one of two reasons: they are in the final stages of drafting their state reports before submitting it to the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (Commission); or they were one of the first countries to have ratified the Protocol but have yet to submit a report on measures they have taken to comply with the treaty.
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On 24 and 25 June 2013, the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa, Commissioner Pansy Tlakula, in collaboration with the Centre for Human Rights, Article 19 Eastern Africa and the Burundi Union of Journalists, organised a stakeholders meeting on the ‘Decriminalisation of Laws Limiting Freedom of Expression and the Safety of Journalists in Eastern Africa’, in Bujumbura, Burundi.
The meeting brought together governmental officials, national human rights institutions, national journalist associations, as well as civil society organisations, to discuss issues related to the decriminalisation of freedom of expression and the safety of journalists in Eastern Africa.
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The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria Law Faculty, has been commissioned and funded by the Foundation for Human Rights (FHR) and the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development to undertake a scoping exercise as part of their Access to Justice and Promotion of Constitutional Rights Programme.
The aim of the project was to map out and support research around discriminatory and unfair legislation that impact on marginalized and vulnerable groups, with a view to identify studies undertaken in the field, pinpoint gaps for further research and ensure that any interventions proposed by the Foundation for Human Rights do not amount to duplication.
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You are cordially invited to attend the National Oral Rounds of the Third National Schools Moot Court Competition, to be presented from 9–11 August 2013. The Moot is presented by the Universities of Venda, Western Cape, and Pretoria; as well as by CLASI and the SA Human Rights Commission, in partnership with the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, the Department of Basic Education and the Foundation for Human Rights.
The presiding judges in the final round in Johannesburg will be eminent jurists and judges from South Africa.
Please find the problem to be argued, as well as more details on the moot, at www.up.ac.za/law.
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The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Eritrea, Sheila B. Keetharuth, today reiterated her call on the international community to keep monitoring the human rights situation in Eritrea and to protect and support those fleeing the country, in particular the increasing numbers of unaccompanied children.
“I urge the international community to keep Eritrea under close scrutiny until meaningful change is evident,” Ms. Keetharuth said during the presentation of her first report to the UN Human Rights Council. “It will be important to increase efforts to constructively engage with Eritrea and neighbouring countries to improve the situation of human rights in the country.”
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The Women’s Protocol is a complementary legal document to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights which was adopted by the African Commission in 2003 and entered into force in 2005. Its main aim is to expand the substantive protection of women’s rights in Africa by enumerating the rights of women and the corresponding obligations of state parties.
The General Comments was adopted in order to clarify the specific measures that states should take in order to fulfill their obligations under Article 14(1)(d) which provides for the right to self-protection and to be protected against sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS and Article 14(1)(e) which provides for the right to be informed on one’s health status and on the health status of one’s partner.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, expresses its concern over the most recent upsurge in xenophobic violence across South Africa. This comes in the wake of reports on the attacks on, and killings of, Somalian nationals in Diepsloot, Gauteng, and outside Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape.
One area of concern about the xenophobic epidemic in South Africa is the media coverage. Video footage of some of the attacks has been circulating on the internet, with insufficient coverage in the local media. It is disconcerting that xenophobic attacks are not investigated in depth by the main media houses in South Africa. It is imperative that the media explore the cause of xenophobia at grass root level, identify the issues, and influence popular perception.
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The Centre for the Study of AIDS (CSA) in collaboration with the University of Pretoria runs a para-legal advice bureau for people living with HIV/AIDS in Hammanskraal. The bureau is called The Place and it offers HIV related information along with structural assistance to Thulani Mvula, a community-based HIV activist and support group coordinator.
Thulani’s vision is to empower people living with HIV to live full and healthy lives and not to internalise the discrimination that they face on a daily basis. He says that the people he works with are not aware of their rights and thus cannot defend themselves against unfair treatment. The Place also expressed the view that the HIV positive community is not aware of the legal and other services available to them.
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The LLM/MPhil in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa is a unique programme to which 30 individuals from African countries are admitted. The programme is presented by the Centre for Human Rights at the Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria.
In the spirit of mutual exchange aimed at strengthening the links between the regional human rights master’s programmes, and following the positive experience of the EMA programme in this area, the African Human Rights Master’s Degree introduced an amateur photography competition on human rights and democratisation in 2009.
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Academic Conference on Disability Rights in Africa on the theme ‘Overcoming obstacles: Towards the effective implementation of the CRPD in Africa’
The Centre for Human Rights invites abstracts for a conference on disability rights with a focus on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in the African region. The conference will be held at the Centre for Human Rights on Tuesday, 5 November 2013 in Pretoria, South Africa. The conference will also coincide with the launch of first issue of the African Yearbook on Disability Rights on the evening of 5 November
It is anticipated that papers presented at the 5 November conference would be subsequently re-worked for consideration for publication in the 2014 issue of the African Yearbook on Disability Rights.
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Commemorating the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa: Exploring possibilities for promoting women’s sexual and reproductive rights
The Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (also called the ‘Maputo Protocol’) was adopted in 2003 and entered into force in 2005. It has now been ratified by two-thirds of AU member states.
One of the most important provisions of the Protocol is article 14, dealing with the health and reproductive rights of women. Article 14 has been hailed for advancing women’s rights beyond existing international standards, by providing for the right to medical abortion under certain circumstances, and the recognition of the intersection of women’s human rights and HIV. Article 10(3) of the Protocol is also innovative. It places an obligation upon states to reduce military spending in favour of social development and the promotion of women, in particular. This provision has the potential to significantly advance women’s health and reproductive rights.
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In a presentation at the Centre for Human Rights, the European Union (EU) Special Representative for Human Rights, Stavros Lambrinidis, who is in South Africa for the first EU/SA human rights dialgoue, highlighted key issues in the EU's foreign policy.
Mr Lambrinidis highlighted that the EU recently took the step to make human rights the cornerstone of its foreign policy. This focus on human rights also led to the creation of the office of the EU Special Representative for Human Rights.
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Author: Prof Frans Viljoen
Director, Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria
This opinion piece appeared in the following newspapers:
The Star, 24 May 2013
Pretoria News, 24 May 2013
The celebration of Africa Day this year marks 50 years since the elusive quest for African unity formally started on 25 May 1963, the day on which the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) was inaugurated. Despite the acceleration of integration that came with the transformation of the OAU into the African Union (AU), the AU remains poised between two contradictory imperatives: the strengthening of continental institutions and reinforcing national sovereignty.
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The Centre for Human Rights and the European Union Delegation to South Africa cordially invites you to a presentation on EU perspectives on human rights and foreign policy by Stavros Lambrinidis, European Union Special Representative for Human Rights.
Date: Tuesday 28 May 2013
Time: 10:30 - 12:00
Venue: Centre for Human Rights Lecture Hall, Law Building, University of Pretoria
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The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Eritrea, Sheila B. Keetharuth, today called on the international community to keep Eritrea under close scrutiny until meaningful change is evident in the country.
“Blatant disrespect for human rights in Eritrea is unacceptable,” Ms. Keetharuth stressed after a ten-day mission to Ethiopia and Djibouti to collect first-hand information directly from Eritrean refugees on the human rights situation in their country. “Real change would require a fundamental reform process transforming the current culture of rights denial with one anchored in the rule of law, respect for and realization of all human rights and human dignity.”
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‘The rule of law at home and abroad: Reflections (not only) on South(ern) Africa’
This Faculty Seminar Series (Faculty of Humanities) will be presented by Prof Henning Melber, Extraordinary professor at the Department of Political Sciences and Director Emeritus/Senior Adviser of the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation in Uppsala
The discussant at the Faculty Seminar Series is Prof Michelo Hansungule (Centre for Human Rights, UP)
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Row 1 left to right: Justice Remmy Kasule (Uganda), Judge Regina Mtembei Rweyemamu (Tanzania), Judge Zak Yacoob and the wife, Justice Abdallah Salum Massati (Tanzania)
Row 2 left to right: Lady Justice Percy Night Tuhaise (Uganda), Justice Elisa Samuel (Mozambique), Justice Anneth Grispos(Mozambique), Judge Musi Cagney(South Africa), Judge Sulet Potterill (South Africa)
Row 3 left to right: Court President Phetsolo Nare (Botswana), Magistrate Joseph Chigona (Malawi)
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'HUMAN RIGHTS IN A TIME OF HOMOPHOBIA: AN ARGUMENT FOR EQUAL LEGAL PROTECTION OF "SEXUAL MINORITIES" IN AFRICA'
Over the last decade or so, international acceptance of 'sexual minorities' has increased significantly, reflected in the consensus that a person's sexual orientation or gender identity should not be a basis for denying him or her the equal protection of the law. In most of the African continent, a conflicting trend of formally stigmatising homosexuality has manifested itself, leading to the following three questions:
- To what extent is this trend at odds with the formal legal protection under African regional human rights treaties and the constitutions of most African states?
- To what extent is institutionalising African homophobia justified by the arguments that equal legal protection of 'sexual minorities' is a neocolonial attempt at subverting 'African values', that it is in conflict with deeply-held religious beliefs and African culture, and that it flies in the face of the majority's views in African societies?
- What legal and extra-legal strategies should be used to advance the rights of sexual minorities and curb homophobia on the continent?
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Nana Oye Lithur, an alumna of the Centre for Human Rights, was recently appointed as the Cabinet Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection in Ghana. In 2001, Nana graduated from the LLM in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa.
In 2007, she received the prestigious Vera Chirwa Award for her human rights advocacy on the continent. Instituted in 2006, on the occasion of the Centre being awarded the UNESCO Prize for Human Rights Education, the Vera Chirwa Human Rights Award is named after Vera Chirwa, a lawyer and human rights activist who fought for independence, multi-party democracy and was saved in extremis from execution in Malawi.
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On 12 April 2013, the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights officially launched the General Comments to article 14(1)(d) and (e) of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights at the Commission's 53rd Session in Banjul, The Gambia.
Under the guidance of the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women in Africa, and in collaboration with the Centre for Human Rights and regional experts, the General Comments were drafted, and adopted, to provide specific guidance about the obligations of states under these provisions. They further aim to support the Special Rapporteur in the promotion and implementation of the Women’s Rights Protocol; to equip civil society organisations with a yardstick for advocacy and state accountability; and to guide the future jurisprudence of the Commission.
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For millions of Africans on the continent the event passed unnoticed, but the adoption by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Commission) of a model law to inspire and guide African legislatures towards enacting access to information legislation may well usher in an era of greater openness on our continent. When the African Commission officially launched the ‘Model Law on Access to Information for Africa’ on 12 April 2013 during its 53rd Ordinary Session currently being held in Banjul, The Gambia, it for the first time adopted a model law on any topic.Several expert meetings were held, the first of which resulted in the establishment of a ten-member working group of access to information (ATI) experts tasked with developing an initial draft of the Model Law. This first draft was subsequently presented to the African Commission at its 49th Ordinary Session held in Banjul, The Gambia in April 2011.
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The Multi-Level Government Initiative and the Socio-Economic Rights Project of the Community Law Centre (University of the Western Cape), together with the South African Research Chair on Multi-Level Government, Law & Policy are pleased to announce a conference on “Constitution-making in Africa”.
The Conference is organised as part of the African Human Rights Moot Court Competition, hosted by the Faculty of Law (University of the Western Cape) and the Centre for Human Rights (University of Pretoria) from 2 to 7 September 2013.
Please note:
The email address to use when sending abstract is: dlgordon@uwc.ac.za
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The Institute for International and Comparative Law in Africa at the Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria cordially invites you to a lecture and discussion on ‘Lethal autonomous robotics: Coming to a theatre near you?’ by Christof Heyns, United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and Professor of Human Rights Law, UP.
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This is an invitation to attend what should be a fascinating and invigorating discussion with a leading thinker on sexualities and rights in Africa. It forms part of an ongoing series of seminars on sexuality and gender, hosted by the Institute for Women’s and Gender Studies, the Centre for the Study of AIDS, the Centre for Human Rights, the Department of Anthropology and Archaeology and the Department of Philosophy Departments here at the University of Pretoria.
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The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria and the Open Society Justice Initiative held the final expert meeting to finalise the Draft Global Principles on National Security and the Right to Information from 5 to 6 April 2013, in Pretoria, South Africa.
The meeting brought together over 60 individuals, most of whom had previously participated in consultations held in Europe, Asia, North America and three sub-regions in Africa, in the last two years. Participants included senior security sector officials, academics, civil society and access to information experts-including three Special Rapporteurs on Freedom of Expression from the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the Organisation of American States and the United Nations.
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The African Court Coalition organized a one hour discussion as a side event during the 53rd Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the Commission) with the theme; ‘Reflecting on the Current Developments at the African Court for Better Access to Justice in the Continent’. The event was held at the Kairaba Beach Hotel on the 11 April 2013, in Banjul, The Gambia with about 70 participants attending.
During an interactive one hour discussion, human rights experts and judge from the Court reflected on a number of issues relating to the Court which included among others; handling of cases transferred by the Commission and the outcome of a request for an Advisory Opinion before the Court for a case similar to the one pending before the Commission.
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Equality Now, Solidarity for African’s Women's Rights and the Centre for Human Rights recently collaborated to host a training for lawyers on using the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa for legal action on 25 and 26 March 2013. The participants from this program were selected from partner organizations across Southern Africa including private law firms and human rights institutes. They ranged in expertise from litigation specialists to legal advisers in both the public and private sector.
It was an intensive two day session packed with varied and informative presentations including from the Southern African Litigation Centre, successes and challenges noted in strategic litigation of certain cases; as well as a presentation by Professor Frans Viljoen on using the Protocol to advance women's rights and the existing regional mechanisms-The African Commission, African Court and Regional Economic Communities.
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The Gender Unit in collaboration with Irish Aid recently hosted a report back session on Gender Mainstreaming; a follow up session to training offered to Irish Aid partners and some University of Pretoria staff on 17 - 21 September 2012 at the University of Pretoria. An important element of the Gender Mainstreaming session held last year was the development of projects which were to be implemented at the different organisations represented at the training session. This was done under the mentorship of Elize Delport and Karen Stefiszyn of the Gender Unit who took time to develop projects specific to the participants’ interest and also relevant within their organisations. The session on 14 and 15 March 2013 was designed to report back on the interventions carried out, as well as the highlights and challenges noted during the implementation of their projects.
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The Scholars At Risk (SAR)’s Academic Freedom Monitoring Workshop was hosted by the Centre for Human Rights from 2-6 April 2013 and was attended by SAR staff, SAR’s monitoring partners and staff of the Centre. Participants were welcomed by the Dean of Faculty of Law, Prof André Boraine and the Director of the Centre for Human Rights, Prof Frans Viljoen.
The aim of the Academic Freedom Monitoring Workshop is to improve SAR’s monitoring and information distribution system which creates awareness of conducts which constitute violation of academic freedom and human rights of members of the academic institution.
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The Scholars at Risk (SAR) has recently launched a global monitoring system to identify, track, and analyse attacks on academic freedom and university values. Using the information gathered through the monitoring system, SAR aims to build awareness and develop targeted advocacy responses to key attacks, ultimately enhancing protection for academic freedom and improving condition for higher education communities worldwide.
From 3 to 5 April, Scholars at Risk, with the support from the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria will convene its global team of monitors to evaluate the monitoring system’s progress to date, and build on the advancement already made.
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The Gambia, 22 March 2013 -The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights has found the Zimbabwe Government responsible for the torture and ill-treatment of Gabriel Shumba, a well-known human rights advocate and lawyer from Zimbabwe. This is the first time in its 26-year history for the most important human rights body in Africa to hold Zimbabwe responsible for torture.
Mr Shumba, who was representing human rights activists and members of the opposition party MDC before courts in Zimbabwe at the time of his arrest and torture at the hands of the police and intelligence personnel, emphasised that the ruling went beyond his case.
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The quest to challenge the negative attitudes in society and unwind repressive state machinery towards sexual minorities in Africa has been embraced by many individuals and organisations across Africa and in other parts of the world. This was evidenced by the selection of participants who attended the annual short course on sexual minorities, presented by the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria from 11 to 15 February 2013. In total 39 participants from 26 African countries attended. Five others from Finland, Belgium, Britain and the USA also attended. Participants were drawn from both the public sector (including diplomatic missions) and civil society.
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The Centre for Human Rights (CHR), University of Pretoria, in collaboration with the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa, Commissioner Pansy Tlakula, has commenced a two-year project entitled ‘Strengthening Legal Frameworks on Access to Information in Africa’. The project is for a period of two years (from 1 March 2013 to 28 February 2015)) and is being funded by the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF), with additional funding from the Open Society Initiative of Southern Africa (OSISA).
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The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Commission) adopted the ‘Model Law on Access to Information for Africa’ during its recently concluded Extra-Ordinary Session in Banjul, The Gambia. The adoption of the Model Law is a milestone for the African Commission, as it - for the first time - provides a practical tool to assist States in complying with the obligation under article 1 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights to ‘adopt legislative, or other measures to give effect’ to the ‘rights, duties and freedoms enshrined’ therein.
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Six recent graduates of the LLM (Human Rights & Democratisation in Africa) programme participated in the It Gets Better South Africa campaign. It Gets Better South Africa forms part of the global It Gets Better Project where online videos are used to share unique messages of hope and solidarity with LGBT youth. Since its first video, the It Gets Better Project has inspired more than 50 000 user-created videos that have been viewed more than 50 million times.
It Gets Better South Africa features struggle hero Ahmed Kathrada, FreshlyGround violinist Kyla-Rose Smith, presenters Jo-Ann Strauss and Sade Giliberti, models Kerry McGregor and Shashi Naidoo and Mr Gay World 2011, Francois Nel.
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It was a gentle clash of ideas at the Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, when two distinctive personalities, Mr Stephen Lewis, the Co-Director of AIDS-Free World, and Mr Mandiaye Niang, the Regional Representative for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Southern Africa presented brilliant arguments for and against an interesting theme: Is strict control of drugs essential to the realisation of the right to health before a diversified audience drawn from different states of Africa. Moderated by Ms Mary Crewe, the Director of the Centre for the Study of AIDS, the highly informative event was organised jointly by the International Centre on Human Rights and Drug Policy, the University of Essex and the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria.
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On 6 February 2013, the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa, Commissioner Pansy Tlakula, in collaboration with Media Institute of South Africa Malawi (MISA-Malawi), World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) and the Centre for Human Rights, organised a stakeholders meeting on the decriminalisation of laws limiting Freedom of Expression, in Lilongwe, Malawi.
The meeting brought together organisations that had worked on the decriminalisation of laws limiting freedom of expression in Malawi in the past, those that are well positioned to do so in the future, as well as representatives of media groupings whose activities are most jeopardised by the existence of these laws.
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The Draft Model Law on Access to Information has been updated in readiness for re-consideration by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) at its Extra-Ordinary Session taking place from 18 to 23 February 2013 in Banjul, the Gambia. The Model Law was initially presented to the ACHPR during its 52nd Ordinary Session last October in Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast. At the presentation, the Working Group received useful comments from Commissioners which formed the basis for the finalisation of the Draft Model Law.
The current draft has since been forwarded to the ACHPR ahead of its up-coming consideration.
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You are cordially invited to attend a debate on drug control and the right to health, organised jointly by the International Centre on Human Rights and Drug Policy, the University of Essex and the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria.
Date & Time:
Thursday 21st February 2013 at 14:00
Venue:
Moot Court Room (Ground Floor), Faculty of Law, Main Campus, University of Pretoria
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Advocate Pansy Tlakula, the Chairperson of the South African Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), who is also the African Commission’s Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa, recently addressed aspiring human rights students from across the African continent. This was during the official opening ceremony of the Centre for Human Rights’ Masters (LLM/MPhil) programme in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa. The ceremony took place on Friday 8 February 2013 at the University of Pretoria. This prestigious programme is presented by 13 African universities under the stewardship of the Centre for Human Rights based at the Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria. The event was attended by donors, members of the diplomatic corps and senior management of the University of Pretoria.
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It Gets Better South Africa to launch at the Cape Town Holocaust Centre on 20 February 2013 at 7:00 pm.
A diverse group of high profile individuals have teamed up with students from the University of Cape Town (UCT) and the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria to create It Gets Better South Africa. The collection of videos discourages homophobic bullying and promotes the Triangle Project Helpline, a service for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth. Apart from the six students who studied for their LLM (Human Rights & Democartisation in Africa) in 2012, the speakers include struggle hero Ahmed Kathrada, FreshlyGround violinist Kyla-Rose Smith, presenters Jo-Ann Strauss and Sade Giliberti, models Kerry McGregor and Shashi Naidoo and Mr Gay World 2011, Francois Nel.
Presentation by US Ambassador Stephen Rapp on 'Achieving justice for the victims of mass atrocities'
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The Centre for Human Rights invites you to a presentation on 'Achieving justice for the victims of mass atrocities' by Mr Stephen Rapp, US ambassador-at-large for global criminal justice.
Ambassador Rapp's presentation will be followed by a question-and-answer session.
Date: Tuesday, 29 January
Time: 17:30
Venue: Centre for Human Rights Lecture Hall, Level 2, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria
For more information, please send an email to magnus.killander@up.ac.za or call 012 420 5407.
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The Centre for Human Rights invites you to the Opening Ceremony of the Class of 2013 enrolled in the LLM/MPhil (Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa) programme
Advocate Pansy Tlakula, Chief Electoral Officer of the South African Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information, will be the Keynote Speaker at the event to welcome the students to the programme.
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The University of Pretoria held a graduation ceremony on International Human Rights Day (10 December 2012). The graduation ceremony was the culmination of a week of events organised by the Centre for Human Rights which included a conference on ending mass atrocities in Africa, the fourth World Human Rights Moot Court Competition as well as celebrating the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights’ award to the Centre for Human Rights.
At the graduation ceremony 42 students graduated with Masters of Laws degrees while 5 students received doctoral degrees. The following Masters degrees were awarded:
- 29 students graduated from the Master of Laws in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa
- 12 students graduated with the Master of Laws in International Human Rights Law and HIV in Africa
- One student received a Master of Philosophy in Multi-disciplinary Human Rights
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The Centre for Human Rights in collaboration with the Department of Political Sciences, University of Pretoria, convened an international conference, 6-7 December 2012, under the over-arching theme: ‘Article 4(h) @ 10: How to End Mass Atrocities in Africa.’ The conference was held in commemoration of the fact that it is now 10 years since the coming into force of the Constitutive Act of the African Union. Article 4(h) of the Constitutive Act allows the African Union to intervene in a member state in the face of war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. The aim of the conference was to provide an opportunity for academics, judges, practitioners, policy makers, military personnel, government officials, among others, to consider legal, procedural and practical challenges to the implementation of Article 4(h).
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The 4th World Human Rights Moot Court Competition was held from 7 to 10 December at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. The objective of the World Human Rights Moot Court Competition is to promote co-operation and collaboration between law faculties from around the world. It also has the ambition to facilitate exchanges between universities from various backgrounds and legal systems.
The final of the World Moot Competition, for four years now, has become part of the official celebration of the International Human Rights Day on 10 December. The final round was attended by World Moot participants as well as representative of diplomatic missions accredited to South Africa.
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The Gender Unit recently held the Due Diligence Project expert consultative meeting at the Centre for Human Rights from 3- 4 December 2012. The Due Diligence Project is a multi-year project to develop due diligence standards and indicators on State responsibility to end violence against women. It aims to add content to the international legal principle of “due diligence” in the context of State responsibility to address and end violence against women; and to instrumentalise the findings, indicators and good practices for practical application through manuals, tool kits and training modules. The Centre for Human Rights is an institutional partner of the Project, which is implemented by the International Human Rights Initiative based in Boston, USA.
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On the 7th of December 2012 the 4th edition of the World Moot Court Competition began with an exciting and eventful opening ceremony in which the participants expressed their diversity by dressing in their respective countries’ traditional dress. Sixteen teams from the five UN regions were invited to attend the Competition.
After arriving at the university the students registered for the competition where after they attended the opening ceremony in which Professor Frans Viljoen welcomed the students and introduced Mr Marco Kalbusch from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights who was the keynote speaker for the evening. Mr Kalbusch, as well as Professor Frans Viljoen, addressed the students and provided some words of encouragement to the students before embarking on their journey towards the final of the competition. The evening drew to a close after a lovely dinner where all the participants and organisers had a chance to socialise and become more acquainted with each other.
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You are cordially invited to attend the Graduation Ceremony of the 2012 class of the LLM (Human Rights & Democratisation in Africa) programme on international human rights day (10 December).
The keynote speaker at the event is Ms Jane Connors, Chief of Special Procedures, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Event details
Date: Monday 10 December 2012
Time: 14:00
Venue: Aula, University of Pretoria
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Senate Hall, Conference Centre, University of Pretoria
6-7 December 2012
The Centre for Human Rights in collaboration with the Department of Political Sciences, University of Pretoria, will convene an international conference, 6-7 December 2012, under the over–arching theme: ‘Article 4(h) @ 10: How to End Mass Atrocities in Africa.’ The conference is being held in commemoration of the fact that it is now 10 years since the coming into force of the Constitutive Act of the African Union, which ushered in a normative change to the pan-African peace and security agenda, particularly regarding the parameters of sovereignty and intervention for humanitarian ends. At the front and centre of this paradigm shift is Article 4(h) of the Constitutive Act, which allows the African Union to intervene in a member state in the face of war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity.
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The Disability Rights Scholarship Program provides year-long LLM awards to disability rights advocates and lawyers so they can develop the expertise to pursue new legislation, jurisprudence, impact litigation, and scholarship.
With this scholarship, Fellows will have the ability to challenge rights violations in their home countries by drafting enforceable legislation consistent with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), utilizing enforcement mechanisms set forth in the Convention, taking forward disability rights litigation, requesting CRPD-compliant remedies, and engaging in disability rights advocacy.
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Some of the Centre's students particpated in the Documentary Clinic as part of their studies towards the LLM (Human Rights & Democratisation in Africa) programme.
The documentary Changing Lenses: A short film about youth empowerment was the result of the 2012 Documentary Clinic.
As South Africa struggles to rise from the ashes of its Apartheid past, cracking the glass ceiling of extreme socio-economic inequalities using conventional methods has proven to be, at best, a shot in the dark.
As necessity is the mother of invention, people have developed innovative ways of raising awareness through creative ideas and out-of-the-box thinking.
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During its 52nd Session in Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Commission) adopted a general comment on article 14(1)(d) and (e) of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (African Women’s Protocol, also known as the Maputo Protocol) which provides for women’s human rights in the context of the HIV pandemic.
It is the first time the African Commission has adopted a general comment, which is an interpretive text to clarify the normative content of human rights provisions and the nature and scope of state obligations. General comments have been elaborated in many instances in the UN human rights treaty body system.
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The Centre for Human Rights Gender Unit, with the generous support of UNAIDS, convened an expert working group meeting in Dakar, Senegal from 28 - 29 September 2012 to broaden consultation on the draft general comment on article (14)(1)(d) & (e) of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa.
The general comment elaborates the nature and scope of the provisions in questions and clarifies state obligations towards complying with the identified provisions, namely concerning women's protection from HIV infection and issues related to information, testing and disclosure in line with international human rights standards.
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The African Human Rights Moot Court Competition, now for 21 years a very prominent feature on the calendar for African law faculties, recently celebrated its coming of age.
The 21st African Human Rights Moot Court Competition was held from 1 to 6 October in Maputo, Mozambique.
The Universidade Eduardo Mondlane co-hosted this important human rights competition with the Centre for Human Rights from the University of Pretoria
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The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR), the oldest human rights body of the African Union, awarded its first ever NGO Prize for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights to the Centre for Human Rights of the Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria.
This Prize was awarded on the occasion of the Commission celebrating its 25th birthday, during the opening of its 52nd Ordinary Session in Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire, on 9 October 2012.
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The Centre for Human Rights: Gender Unit and Institute for Women’s and Gender Studies, with funding from Irish Aid conducted training on gender mainstreaming from the 17th - 21st of September at the University of Pretoria, Faculty of Law.
The participants in this week long training were chosen from various Irish Aid development partners as well as University of Pretoria staff. This training, now in its second year, is geared towards the comprehensive realisation of gender equality in both the public and private spheres.
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The Model Law on Access to Information has been finalised for adoption by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), following the meeting of the Model Law Working Group from 6-8 July 2012 in Pretoria, South Africa.
At the Working Group meeting, all comments received electronically and at each of the sub-regional consultations on the Model Law,were considered by members of the Working Group and amendments to the draft Model Law, agreed upon.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, expresses its deep concern and dismay about the killing by members of the South African Police Force of demonstrators on 16 August 2012. Available evidence gives rise to serious questions about the appropriateness and proportionality of the Police response.
The Centre therefore calls on President Zuma to immediately appoint an independent commission of inquiry to investigate the causes and to establish responsibility for the killings. An internal Police or government inquiry would in our view constitute a ‘business as usual’-approach, which is not a suitable response to the extremity of the alarming events.
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The Centre for Human Rights is both honoured and delighted to have hosted Mrs Mary Robinson for a memorable 'fireside chat' in the Sanctuary room, overlooking the Eternal Flame, at Freedom Park in Pretoria last night (7 August 2012).
Mary Robinson is Extraordinary Professor in the Centre for Human Rights and the Centre for the Study of AIDS at the University of Pretoria, both of which were pleased to welcome all guests to Freedom Park.
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The Alberton Magistrates’ Court on Monday 30 July 2012 made an order vindicating the rights of two lesbian women who had lodged a complaint that they were not allowed to publicly celebrate their civil union at Sha-Mani, a privately-owned functions venue and conference centre in Alberton. Sitting as an Equality Court, the Court accepted the agreement between the parties and ordered that Sha-Mani must pay R20 000 to OUT, an NGO working towards gay and lesbian well-being. Sha-mani was also ordered to allow gays and lesbians to hire any of Sha-Mani’s three venues for any purpose, including for weddings.
After the case, the couple, Francis and Liani Buitendag, said: “We really hope this case will help others in the LGBTI community to realise they can stand up against unfair discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity”.
Download this press release in PDF format (English)
Laai hierdie persverklaring af in PDF formaat (Afrikaans)
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A prominent human rights activist and LGBTI rights defender, Monica Mbaru, has been appointed as a Judge of the Industrial Court and will serve in the Judiciary.
Justice Mbaru Monica Wanjiru was sworn in by President Mwai Kibaki and Chief Justice Willy Mutunga at State House on July 13. Justice Mbaru was among 12 successful candidates who were vetted and selected by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).
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A panel discussion on accountability and responsibility of international financial institutions was held on 20 June 2012 at the Centre for Human Rights.
The presenters were Prof Jan Wouters from the University of Leuven and Dr Andria Naude-Fourie from Erasmus University, the Netherlands. The panel discussion was moderated by Professor Danny Bradlow, the head of the International Development Law Unit at the Centre for Human Rights.
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The Centre for Human Rights with support from the Solidarity for African Women's Rights Network recently constituted a working group of experts, drawn from various organizations dealing with HIV/AIDS and related matters, at the University of Pretoria.
The Constitution of this group was geared towards the development of guidelines on state obligations relating to women's health and reproductive rights and HIV (Article 14 (1) (d) and (e) of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa).
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On Tuesday 15 May 2012, Ms Navi Pillay, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights presented the Annual Helen Kanzira Memorial Lecture at the University of Pretoria.
Helen Kanzira was an alumnus of the pioneer class of the Master of Laws in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa at the Centre for Human Rights. Helen passed away in Uganda following complications during childbirth.
In commemoration of her spirit and dedication to human rights in Africa, the Centre for Human rights instituted the lecture to raise awareness on issues of women’s reproductive health rights.
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Following the decision of the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice of 13 March 2012 to adjourn the hearing of the case, RADDHO v Senegal, Case No. ECW/CCJ/APP/03/12, the Court proceeded to hear the matter on 4 May 2012.
The Republic of Senegal was represented by their Counsel, Mr Mafall Fall, while RADDHO’s Chairperson, Alioune Tine and RADDHO’s lawyer, Maître Amadou Kane were also present.
The Centre for Human Rights, which has been the legal and technical adviser of RADDHO in this matter, was represented by Mr Horace Adjolohoun who also acted as lead counsel in this session of the hearing.
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On Wednesday 2 May, Sir Nigel Rodley, Professor at the Human Rights Centre of the University of Essex, member of the United Nations Human Rights Committee and former United Nations Special Rapportuer on Torture presented a public lecture on the UK Human Rights Act.
During a week in Pretoria, Sir Nigel also taught on the LLM programme in human rights and democratisation in Africa as part of a teacher exchange between the Centre for Human Rights and the Human Rights Centre at the University of Essex.
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The Centre for Human Rights at the Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, invites you to the Annual Helen Kanzira Lecture.
This public lecture on women’s reproductive health rights will be presented by Ms Navi Pillay, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The title of the lecture is: "Valuing Women as Autonomous Beings: Women's Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights"
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The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, has followed with great concern the events that have been unfolding in the Republic of Angola, particularly since David Mendes declared that his political party (Partido Popular) will run against the party of the incumbent President, Jose Eduardo dos Santos, in the upcoming national elections to be held sometime in 2012.
Following Mendes’s declaration of his intention to run in the elections as a competitor to the incumbent President, he has been receiving death threats and had his property and that of the human rights organization (Mãos Livres) and Partido Popular vandalized by unknown persons. The death threats have intensified after he filed a complaint to the Attorney Generals’ Office against the incumbent President accusing him of embezzlement of public funds.
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Roundup of four global experts' views, including that of Danny Bradlow, SARCHI Professor of International Development Law and African Economic Relations in the Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, on the selection of the new President of the World Bank.
According to the Council on Foreign Relations, the selection of Jim Yong Kim, the U.S. candidate, as the next president of the World Bank has stimulated debate over reform of the institution's governance. Four experts size up the succession process, some judging it a missed opportunity for meaningful change while others seeing a crucial injection of new expertise at the sixty-eight-year-old development body.
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Following the decision of the Constitutional Council of Senegal to endorse President Abdoulaye Wade as a presidential candidate for a third term, RADDHO, a non-governmental organisation based in Dakar, Senegal, lodged a complaint to the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice against the government of the Republic of Senegal on 16 February 2012 cited as case no. ECW/CCJ/APP/03/12.
In bringing the suit, RADDHO enjoyed the support of the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, which acted as legal and technical advisor.
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The Centre for Human Rights will be hosting a seminar on the Use of Official Languages Bill.
The presenters are:
- Prof Fernand de Varennes
Research professor at the international observatory of linguisic rights, Université de Moncton, Canada, and Convenor of the 13th Conference of the International Academy of Linguistic Law - Prof Koos Malan
Department of Public Law, University of Pretoria
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Professor Christopher John Robert “John” Dugard, Extraordinary Professor of Law in the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria, will receive one of South Africa’s highest civilian honours, the Order of the Baobab: Gold, in a ceremony conducted by President Jacob Zuma on Freedom Day, 27 April 2012.
The Order of the Baobab is awarded by the President to South African citizens for ‘distinguished service that goes beyond the call of duty’ and for exceptional contributions to the nation.
Prof Dugard will be recognised for his achievements in international law and, in particular, for his efforts in opposition to apartheid, his contributions to the establishment of the rule of law, his work in the field of human rights and his role in the creation of a free and democratic South Africa.
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On 27 March 2012, Takele Soboka Bulto (Ethiopia, 2003) won the Harold Luntz Graduate Research Thesis Prize for 2011 for his PhD thesis submitted last year at the Melbourn Law School, Australia.
Takele says he is proud to say that he owes so much to the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, and its ever supportive Professors, for what he has achieved since 2003.
Dr Takele Soboka Bulto is currently Assistant Professor of International Studies at the Faculty of Arts and Design, University of Canberra.
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In 2010, the Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, received funding from the World Bank to cover the costs of IDF Grant TF 090558: Enhancing Access to Legal Information – a grant between the World Bank and the Faculty of Law. The core activity under this project was the production by the Pretoria University Law Press (PULP) of a series of books on comparative African law, entitled the Rule of Law in Africa Series.
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Julius Osega Memorial Lecture CANCELLED
Unfortunately the Julius Osega Memorial Lecture which was to have been presented by Sir Dawda Jawara has been cancelled for the moment. The Memorial Lecture will take place later in the year, date to be announced.
Due to unforeseen circumstances Sir Dawda Jawara's entourage could not get their visas in time for the flights and he may not travel without them.
We apologise for any inconvenience caused.
The PULP "Rule of Law in Africa Series" Book Launch will, however, still be taking place.
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Satang Nabanech, a 2012 LLM student (Human Rights & Democratisation in Africa) recently won a prize for her paper in AAWORD's essay competition.
The Association of African Women for Research and Development (AAWORD) organises the Advocacy Competition on Gender and Political Participation in Africa.
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It is with great sadness that the Centre for Human Rights learnt of the death of Steve Odero Ouma. Steve was a member of the LLM (Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa) class of 2005. He passed away on 23 February, after having been admitted to hospital. The autopsy revealed that Steve had advanced gastrointestinal cancer and neither surgery or chemotherapy would have saved his life.
In 2005, one of the field trip destinations of the LLM students was Sierra Leone. I was fortunate enough to go with this group, of which Steve was part. On this trip, I got to know him as someone who could be playful and mischievous, but also extremely serious about issues affecting our continent, and as an inquisitive, determined and dedicated student.
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On 10 February, the Regional Office for Southern Africa of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (ROSA) launched a Human Rights Resource Centre at the Oliver Tambo Law Library at the University of Pretoria, South Africa.
The inauguration ceremony took place on the occasion of the opening ceremony of the 2012 Class of the LLM in Human Rights and Democratization in Africa, hosted by the Centre for Human Rights of the University of Pretoria.
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South Africa’s Public Protector Thuli Madonsela addressed aspiring human rights lawyers from across the continent at the opening ceremony of the Master of Laws (LLM) in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa, a programme of the Centre for Human Rights in the Faculty of Law at the University of Pretoria. The ceremony, held on Friday 10 February 2012, was attended by nearly 200 people, including representatives of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, members of the diplomatic corps, and members of the senior management of the University of Pretoria.
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The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, has followed with great concern the events that have been taking place in the Republic of Senegal since the decision of the Constitutional Council, on 27 January 2012, to allow the incumbent, President Abdoulaye Wade, to run for a third term. In our view, it is a contravention of the letter and spirit of the Constitution of Senegal, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) laws and the President’s own pledge to the Senegalese people.
The Government of Senegal has, despite the legitimate concerns raised by the opposition parties, civil societies as well as a large majority of the citizenry, decreed 26 February 2012 as the date for the presidential election.
Download the press statement (English)Download the press statement (Français)
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The Centre for Human Rights awarded an honorary doctorate degree to Advocate George Bizos SC on 9 December 2011. Advocate Bizos is a distinguished human rights lawyer who campaigned against apartheid in South Africa, most notably during the Rivonia Trial.
Currently associated with the Constitutional Litigation Unit at the Legal Resources Centre, Advocate Bizos delivered his address 'Blame neither the Constitution nor the Courts' during the Spring Graduation Ceremony.
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With the deposit of the fifteenth instrument of ratification by Cameroun on 15 January 2012, the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (Democracy Charter)is set to enter into force on 15 February 2012, 30 days after the deposit of the last instrument of ratification. The Democracy Charter was adopted by the African Union on 30 January 2007, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The entry into force of the Democracy Charter means that for the first time, a binding treaty on democracy, elections and governance is in place in Africa, although it will only be binding on the 15 member States that have ratified it. The Democracy Charter is the culmination of successive non-binding instruments adopted by the African Union on democracy, good governance, human rights and development, and reinforces recent initiatives such asthe New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).
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The University of Pretoria held a graduation ceremony for the Master of Laws (LLM) in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa. The ceremony took place at the Musaion on Friday 9 December 2011. All the 30 students who were admitted to the programme in 2011 completed the programme successfully. There were 15 women and 15 men. The students were drawn from 16 African countries.
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On 9 December 2011, the Alumni Association welcomes 30 new members who will be awarded the LLM in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa.
On 11 July 2011, nineteen alumni attended a meeting during which they discussed strategies to strengthen the alumni network. Implementation of the African Charter research project was discussed in the same meeting. Alumni discussed proposals including co-authoring articles, joint publication, sharing articles and jurisprudence, launching list serves on thematic groups’ basis.
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On Tuesday 29 November, Ms Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Founder and President of the Foundation for Climate Justice, and Extraordinary Professor at the Centre for Human Rights, presented the annual Helen Kanzira lecture in Senate Hall at the University of Pretoria. HE Brendan McMahon, Ambassador of the Republic of Ireland to South Africa introduced Ms Robinson.
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1 December is World AIDS Day. This day is clouded by the cuts to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Stephen Lewis, Co-Director of AIDS-free World made the passionate plea fro donor states to reconsider their position, and suggested some alternatives.
On this day, the Centre for Human Rights adds its voice of support to that of Stephen Lewis.
