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The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria (the Centre) is pleased to invite interested persons to express their interest to participate in a two-day election symposium on 10 - 11 November 2022 at the University of Pretoria. 

As part of our commitment to address policy gaps and find durable solutions to internal displacement, the GENIDA Network is convening a webinar to examine the Action Agenda in light of the current state and continued increase in the number of IDPs in Africa. This webinar will hear perspectives from different stakeholders regarding the UN Secretary General’s Action Agenda on Internal Displacement.

The International Development Law Unit (IDLU), Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria in partnership with the Finance for Development Lab and Pretoria University Law Press (PULP) invites you to the virtual book launch of the Portguese and French versions of COVID-19 and Sovereign Debt, edited by Daniel D. Bradlow and Magalie L. Masamba (2022) 

In collaboration with the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria and the Centre for Applied Legal Studies, Wits University Natural Justice will host a two-day conference to empower young activists and students with knowledge and tools to influence climate justice in South Africa.

The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, cordially invites you to its 10th Annual Disability Rights Conference on 17 and 18 November 2022 which will take place in a hybrid format (in Pretoria, South Africa; and on zoom). The theme of this year’s conference is “Migration, Displacement and Disability: A human rights’ response”. Kindly note that for those who wish to attend the conference physically/in-person, it is required that you cover your own costs (air tickets, accommodation, transport, etc). The Centre will cover costs of conferencing. For those who wish to attend the conference virtually, you are simply requested to fill out the Google form, and the zoom link will be emailed to you.

The conference acts as a platform for convening dialogue amongst key stakeholders on disability rights, and to spotlight the pertinent and emerging disability rights concerns in the African region.

A side event during the 73rd Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights

The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, Equality Now and ICJ-Kenya cordially invite you to a side event to introduce the Guidelines to stakeholders on the side-lines of the 73rd Ordinary Session.

Event Information

Date: 24 October 2022

Time:13:00-14:00 GMT

Venue: International Conference Centre, Kerr Serign, The Gambia (Main Hall)

RSVP: Susan Mutambasere
  Susan.mutambasere@up.ac.za

The right to access justice is an important cross-cutting right that is a pre-requisite for the enjoyment and vindication of all other human rights and fundamental freedoms. Enshrined in article 13 of the Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and article 13 of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Africa (African Disability Protocol), the right guarantees effective access to justice through the provision of procedural, age and gender-appropriate accommodations.


Amnesty International, the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria and UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Assembly are hosting an event on Protecting The Right To Protest in Africa on the Side-lines of the ACHPR 73rd Ordinary Session.

The Expression, Information and Digital Rights (EIDR) Unit of the Centre for Human Rights (Centre), University of Pretoria, supported by Google, hosted the first Advanced Human Rights Course on Data Protection in Africa (Course). The Course was held from 19 to 23 September 2022.

The Centre for Human Rights’ Expression, Information and Digital Rights (EIDR) Unit hosted a two-day-long training and capacity-building workshop on Digital Rights in Southern Africa, from 04 to 05 October 2022. The workshop was targeted at government officials and National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) in Southern Africa. It is part of the stakeholder-specific workshops that commenced following the launch of the Digital Rights in Southern Africa report, which informs the training. The participants were from Angola, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe.

Download report

The Global Coalition on Deinstitutionalization (‘GC-DI’) calls on all bodies and agencies of the UN to support the implementation of the UN Guidelines on Deinstitutionalization, including in Emergencies (‘the Guidelines’). We further call on States parties and regional integration organizations to align reform processes with the authoritative guidance being provided to them by the adoption of the Guidelines. We urge all stakeholders to ensure that deinstitutionalization processes conform to the letter and spirit of the Convention, and prioritise the leadership of persons with disabilities.

On this day, 1st October 2022 which has been set down by the United Nation to commemorate the International Day of Older Persons, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice joins the International Community to recognize and celebrate the enduring contribution of all older persons in Ghana, Africa and globally.

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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, cordially invites you to a webinar series organised by the Democracy and Civic Engagement Unit on “Unconstitutional changes of governments in Africa: Emerging issues and lessons from the continent”. The webinar series pulls together experts from across the continent to interrogate current trends and challenges on democracy in Africa with a specific focus on Sudan, Eswatini and Cameroon.

Date: 13 October 2022

Time: 11:00 - 13:00

Register on Zoom

Download invitation

The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, is organizing a capacity-building workshop on engagement with the African human rights system for South African civil society organisations (CSOs).

Date: 28 - 29 October 2022

We, gathered from various parts of Africa and beyond, participants in the High-level Experts Forum on Durable Solutions to Protracted Displacement in Africa, organised by the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, held on 19 September 2022 at the Future Africa Campus of the University of Pretoria;

Deeply concerned that, according to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), at present the number of refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced persons in Africa is around 30 million;

On 8 September 2022 the Center for Gender Studies and Feminist Futures (CGS) and the Center for Conflict Studies (CCS) at the University of Marburg hosted the final session of the webinar series in the Pretoria-Marburg Queer Conversations: Scholarly and Activist Perspectives on LGBTIQ+ Lived Realities in Africa in collaboration with the Centre for Sexualities, AIDS, and Gender (CSA&G), and the Centre for Human Rights (CHR) at the University of Pretoria. The Pretoria-Marburg Queer Conversations creates a monthly space for in-depth discussions designed to tap into the intersections of knowledge-production and transfer between diverse scholarly and activist spheres and contributes to methodological, conceptual, and normative aspects of centering LGBTIQ+ rights and lived realities in African contexts.

The Expression, Information and Digital Rights Unit cordially invites you to the first of five interactive sessions on the Implementation of the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), 2013. 

SESSION 3: Protection of Personal Information and Organisational Compliance

The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, cordially invites you to a webinar organised by the Democracy and Civic Engagement Unit on participation of young people in elections and politics on the continent with a specific focus on Kenya, Zambia and South Africa. The webinar will interrogate the influences driving participation of young Africans informed by trends of most recent election cycles in the selected countries. This webinar aims to understand the trend towards declining youth participation and the influences driving this as well as garner lessons from instances where youth participation in elections has been robust. 

The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, at the University of Pretoria (Centre for Human Rights), is extending an invitation to you to participate in a webinar launching a study on the impact of COVID-19 on older women in Southern Africa.

by Professor Daniel Bradlow

Inflation is a global problem. At the end of August, it was 8.3% in the US and 9.1% in the Euro area. It is 20.3% in Nigeria25% in Malawi, and over 30% in Ethiopia and Ghana. 

The impact on Africa is devastating. The International Energy Agency estimates that by the end of the year 30 million more Africans will be unable to afford fuel for cooking. The World Bank estimates the number of Africans living in extreme poverty will increase from 424 million in 2019 to 463 million this year.

Dr. Primrose E.R Kurasha is an International Law Expert who holds her professional certification from the International Court of Justice's Hague Academy of International Law. Her other professional certificates are from the University of Salzburg, Austria, the Pretoria Bar of Advocates and the Centre for Human Rights. Dr. Kurasha has also served as a board member.

On September the 19th 2022, the Centre for Human Rights Migration Unit hosted a High-level Experts Forum on Durable Solutions to Protracted Displacement in Africa. The Forum engaged experts from various universities in Africa, the office of the United Nations Commissioner for Refugees, Ethiopian Human Rights Commission and rights organisations in Africa.

High-level experts forum on durable solutions to protracted displacement in Africa

Venues: Future Africa Campus, and Online

Monday 19 September 2022

The Centre for Human Rights (CHR), University of Pretoria (UP), in partnership with the African Policing Civilian Oversight Forum (APCOF) and Global Law Enforcement and Public Health Association (GLEPHA) held another advanced human rights course on “Policing and Vulnerability in Africa” from the 5th – 9th September 2022. The course was held virtually with over sixty (60) participants drawn from law enforcement agencies, government parastatals, students, academic institutions, legal practitioners, civil societies, human rights advocates, non-profit organizations, and other institutions of learning across countries in Africa and globally.

The Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) Unit of the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, is recruiting for: (i) a part-time position and (ii) a full-time position of Project Officer each under a twelve-month contract beginning in January 2023 and ending on 31 December 2023, renewable based on performance and continued funding.

The Centre for Human Rights is calling for papers that will form part of a book that contributes to critical communication surveillance and human rights studies in Africa.

On 7 September, the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria (CHR) celebrated a milestone in hosting the tenth edition of the Helen Kanzira Memorial Lecture, together with the Dullah Omar Institute, University of the Western Cape (UWC).  This was the tenth edition and to celebrate this feat, the annual event was hosted in the City of Cape Town, at the Lagoon Beach Hotel.  

The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, invites you to a webinar discussion of a case on the rights of indigenous people recently decided by the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights. This event is the second in a series of discussions of decisions by African human rights bodies.

Date: 20 September 2022
Time: 11:00 - 12:30 SAST
Venue: Zoom
Host: Prof Frans Viljoen
Moderator: Ms Henrietta Ekefre
RSVP: Foluso Adegalu (foluso.adegalu@up.ac.za)

  Download Pretoria Declaration on Technology and Human Rights
  Download abstract and a list of bios of participantsabstract and a list of bios of participants

From 1 to 3 September, the Centre for Human Rights organised the conference of the Association of Human Rights Institutes (AHRI). AHRI was established in 2000 by seven human rights institutes in Europe and has grown to include more than 80 university-based human rights institutes across the world. The 2022 conference was the first time that AHRI held its annual conference outside Europe. The Centre for Human Rights organised the 2020 conference on the theme of socio-economic rights, but due to Covid-19 this conference was moved fully online.

On 9 June 2022 the Centre for Human Rights (CHR) at the University of Pretoria facilitated the fifth event in the Pretoria-Marburg Queer Conversations: Scholarly and Activist Perspectives on LGBTIQ+ Lived Realities in Africa in collaboration with the Centre for Sexualities, AIDS, and Gender (CSA&G) at the University Pretoria, the Center for Gender Studies and Feminist Futures (CGS) and the Center for Conflict Studies (CCS) at the University of Marburg. The Pretoria-Marburg Queer Conversations series creates a monthly space for in-depth discussions designed to tap into the intersections of knowledge-production and transfer between diverse scholarly and activist spheres and contributes to methodological, conceptual, and normative aspects of centering LGBTIQ+ rights and lived realities in African contexts.

The Pretoria-Marburg Queer Conversations continue on 8 September 2022 with the topic ‘Prospects and Challenges for Transnational Activism to Advance LGBTIQ+ Rights in Africa’ organised by the Center for Gender Studies and Feminist Futures (CGS) and the Centre for Conflict Studies (CCS) at the University of Marburg. Register for the following webinar below:

  • 8 September 2022, 12:00 SAST to 13:30 SAST / 12:00 CET to 13:30 CET: 

Download poster

The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, with the support of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in South Africa, hosted a week-long capacity-building workshop on strategic litigation and advocacy for LGBTI+ human rights defenders in Africa. The workshop is an annual event organised by the Centre’s Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) Unit. The workshop aims to capacitate LGBTI+ human rights defenders in Africa with knowledge and skills to conduct strategic litigation and advocacy supporting litigation efforts. This year’s edition took place in Pretoria from 22 to 26 August 2022.

On the occasion of the International Day of the Disappeared, which comes up on 30 August every year, the #ReleaseThem Campaign, The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, Stand Up For Cameroon and other partners organize a series of outreach and advocacy activities aimed at engaging the Cameroonian and international community on the continued need to press for the State of Cameroon to take a lead in ending this practice. Enforced disappearance has become rampant in Cameroon over the past decade, in the aftermath of multiple conflicts pitting the state against non-state fighters across the country.

The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria in partnership with the University of Antwerp, Belgium, conducted its annual Advanced Human Rights Course (AHRC) on the Right to Development in Africa. The course was held from the 15th to 19th of August 2022 in a hybrid format with physical participants at the University of Pretoria’s Future Africa Campus (Future Africa), and about 55 virtual participants joining via Zoom from all over the world. The Centre and its partners also hosted a two-day round table dialogue on the right to development on the 19th and 20th of August 2022 at Future Africa.

by Tariro Sekeramayi

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) play an important and ever-shifting role in African politics and influence the power dynamics on the continent. A vibrant and functioning CSO sector is essential to African societies and their development in various ways, including lobbying for the protection of human rights, amplifying civil voices and acting as external oversight bodies, holding African governments to account. CSOs' influence on policy-making on the continent is essential as they represent the interests of various groups. One of the African Union (AU) organs that facilitates the involvement of African CSOs and, ultimately, the African citizenry is the AU Economic, Social & Cultural Council (ECOSOCC). Established in 2004 by way of Articles 2 and 25 of the AU Constitutive Act, as an advisory body to the AU, this organ provides a platform for representation and involvement of African CSOs in decision-making on the continent through influencing AU policies, programmes and principles. Key areas of ECOSOCC's work in this regard are upholding the principles and policies of the AU by advising on and evaluating these programmes; undertaking studies and making recommendations; and contributing to the promotion of human rights, the rule of law, good governance, and democratic principles.

by Ms Bonolo Makgale

The African Union (AU) commemorates its second decade this year. This milestone presents a moment to reflect on the founding aspirations of the body, assess the current progress in achieving these, and provide suggestions of what the continent should do to achieve these aspirations. This piece assesses the AU's role in peace and security on the continent as far as election-related violence (ERV) is concerned and the linkages between various organs of the AU to achieve this, particularly the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) and the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC). Timothy Sisk defines ERV as 'acts of verbal assault, intimidation, coercion and physical harm used to sabotage an electoral process (at any given point) or eliminate electoral competition.' The United Nations recognises ERV as a 'form of political violence which is often designed to influence an electoral outcome and, therefore, political power distribution.'

by Professor Daniel Bradlow

In most rich countries the news that a mission from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is coming to visit is met with indifference. But, in most African countries the news can cause great consternation.

The Centre for Human Rights (CHR), University of Pretoria (UP), in collaboration with the International Center for Not-For-Profit law (ICNL) hosted its annual advanced human rights course on “Civil Society Law in Africa” at University of Pretoria. This year’s course was held in a hybrid format, about twenty participants from Southern and East African regions attended the course physically at the University, while about fifty attended online from other different parts of Africa. The participants included students, several civil society organizations representatives, legal practitioners, human rights advocates, members of government institutions, members of parliament, members of the judiciary and representatives of law enforcement agencies.

The 2022 Advanced Human Rights Course (AHRC) on the African human rights systems in comparative perspectives took place from 4 - 8 April 2022. The course was hosted by the Centre for Human Rights, University of in collaboration with Ghent University.

The Centre is implementing a research project on the impact of race and colour on the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms by persons with albinism in South Africa. The project seeks to determine the extent and the manner in which racism and colourism hinder the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms by persons with albinism in South Africa. Accordingly, the Centre is seeking to recruit an experienced consultant with extensive knowledge on the rights of persons with albinism. The consultant is expected to conduct a desktop research study to ascertain the impact of race and colour on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism in South Africa.

The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, in partnership with the University of Antwerp, cordially invites you to a webinar dialogue on clarifying the nature, content and importance of the right to development in Africa. The Dialogue will attempt to interrogate critical issues around Human Rights Based Approach to Development; Debt Financing, Taxation and development; IFFS and Development; Public Services and the SDG agenda; PPPs and development; Climate Change and Sustainable Development and the Draft Treaty on Right to Development among others. These will help guide formulation of strategic interventions to inform the right to development discourse in Africa and international mechanisms.

The Dullah Omar Institute, University of the Western Cape together with the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria cordially invites you to the Helen Kanzira Memorial Lecture.

On 15 August 2022, the Centre for Human Rights’ Expression, Information and Digital Rights unit hosted a digital rights training and capacity-building workshop for civil society organisations from Botswana, DRC, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Madagascar, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Among the participants were representatives of NGOs, journalists, lawyers, and academics. The training was based on the Digital Rights Landscape in Southern Africa report launched on 3 August 2022. The objective of the training was to advance and enhance public interest and awareness of digital rights among civil society organisations.

The Disability Rights Unit, Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, conducted a research study to map out the barriers faced by persons with disabilities in accessing the criminal justice systems in Botswana, South Africa and Zambia. Botswana, South Africa and Zambia have ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in 2021, 2007 and 2010, respectively. The (CRPD) enshrines the rights of persons with disabilities, including the right to access justice on an equal basis with others under article 13.

The Centre for Human Rights is looking for an experienced consultant with research expertise to conduct a study on the role of the media in fomenting and countering xenophobia in South Africa.

The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, and the NorwegianCentre for Human Rights, University of Oslo, cordially invite you to a thematic and country-level discussion of the influence of the United Nations treaty system on the promotion and protection of human rights at the national level. 

The Pretoria Regional Delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross together with the Institute for International and Comparative Law in Africa and the Centre for Human Rights of the University of Pretoria will be presenting the nineteenth All Africa Course on International Humanitarian Law between 25 October and 04 November 2022.

On 4 August 2022, The Democracy and Civic Engagement Unit of the Centre for Human Rights(the Centre), University of Pretoria(UP), in collaboration with the Africa Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) hosted a cocktail reception in honour of Dr. Nardos Bekele-Thomas, the new Chief Executive Officer of AUDA- NEPAD, and His Excellency Chief Charumbira Fortune Zefania, the New President of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) and Members of the Bureau. The newly elected Members of the Bureau are: Hon. Prof. Massouda Mohamed Laghdaf; Hon. Dr Ashebiri Gayo; Hon. Lúcia Maria Mendes Gonçalves dos Passos; and Hon. Francois Ango Ndoutoume.

Every year, on August 9, South Africa country marks Women’s Day. The day is used to pay tribute to the more than 20 000 women who marched to the Union Buildings on 9 August 1956 in protest against the extension of Pass Laws to women, a system meant to subjugate women even further and reduce women to passive beings, at the mercy of men. In addition to celebrating the strength and resilience of South Africa women, the day brings attention to the issues that African women face then and now. These issues include gender-based violence (GBV), discrimination and harassment in different areas of life, unequal pay, lack of access to education and sexual and reproductive health services and in recent times the disproportionate impact of climate change.

The British University in Egypt hosted the 31st edition of the African Human Rights Moot Court Competition in Cairo, from 25 - 30 July 2022. In commemoration of the human rights champion, founder of the African moot competition and former United Nations (UN) special rapporteur extrajudicial executions, Prof Christof Henys.

The African Coalition for Corporate Accountability (ACCA) congratulates the Centre for Applied Legal Studies (CALS), Alternative Information and Development Centre (AIDC) and Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) on successfully convening the 4th Binding Treaty on Business and Human Rights Indaba in Johannesburg from the 27 - 28 July 2022, under the theme: ‘Towards a legally binding instrument’: Lessons learnt from the pandemic.’

On 3 August 2022, the Expression, Information and Digital Rights unit,  launched the Digital Rights in Southern Africa Landscape report. The report is based on the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and other international and regional human rights instruments that are important in the enforcement of human rights in the digital age. It seeks to enhance public interest and awareness of digital rights to exert direct influence on Southern African states to implement normative human rights standards in the digital age.

EN 14th Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition Poster

The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, is delighted to announce the successful presentation of the 14th edition of the Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition, which was held in a hybrid format.  The team of Singapore Management University, Singapore, composed of Shu Yi Ling and Duncan Lim, claimed the title as 2022 winners. The runner up team is the Geneva Academy for International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights.

Ordinarily, the World Moot Court Competition, which focuses on the UN human rights treaties, takes place annually and fully in person at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. However, in light of the continued threat posed by the current global pandemic, the World Moot took place in a hybrid format. While the Moot ordinarily takes place around Nelson Mandela’s date of birth (18 July), the 2022 Competition saw the Preliminary Rounds spread out over a week, from 20 to 27 May 2022, with the Competition culminating in the Final Round on 21 July 2022. The Final Round took place in Room XX, the Human Rights and Alliance of Civilizations Room, at the UN European headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.  The UN Human Rights Council also holds its deliberations in this Room.

The two teams made it to the final round by advancing through two grueling preliminary and advanced rounds, surviving an intense quarter-final round, and emerging as winners in the semi-final rounds. The other semi-finalists were Geneva Academy for International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights (Switzerland) Singapore Management University (Singapore) and Symbiosis Law School, Pune (India). The Preliminary Rounds of the Competition took place separately in English and Spanish.

The Final Round was presided over by an esteemed panel of six judges from the European Court of Human Rights  (Judge Ivana Jelic), the Inter-American Court of Human (Judge Veronica Gomez), the Supreme Court of Belize (Judge Genevieve Chabot) the Commonwealth Secretariat (Dr Shavana Haythornthwaite) the Global Campus of Human Rights (its Secretary General Professor Manfred Nowak) and the drafter of the hypothetical case Associate Professor Thompson Chengeta of the University of Liverpool. In 2022, Ms Ayushi Agarwal and Ms Gayathree Thazhatuveetil, winners of the 2019 Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition, were also members of the judging panel.

In the spirit of the Moot Competition bringing the world together, this year’s edition had participants from 36 universities, from over 19 countries, representing the five UN regions and covering two language groups – English and Spanish.

The Nelson Mandela Moot Court Competition is organised annually by the Centre for Human Rights, together with the Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law at the Washington College of Law, American University, Washington DC, and in collaboration with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva (Human Rights Council branch).

The Competition too place for the first time in 2009. Initially, it took place in Pretoria, at the University of Pretoria, but it had been presented in Geneva, Switzerland, from 2014 to 2019. Due to COVID-19 the 2020 and 2021 editions of the Moot Court were presented online while in 2022 the Competition adopted a hybrid format with the preliminary rounds taking place online from 20 to 27  May 2022 and the in person Final Rounds taking place from 18 to 21 July 2022.

The closing ceremony was well attended. The United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms Nada Al Nashif, in her remarks congratulated participants for reaching the final round and celebrated all those who joined the Competition and commended participants for their interest and dedication to human rights. Ms Al Nashif added that World Moot participants form part of an “inspiring generation”.

The Director of the Centre for Human Rights, Professor Frans Viljoen, thanked everyone involved in organising the Moot.  While emphasizing that it is a team effort, in particular of staff of the Centre for Human Rights, he highlighted the dedication and professionalism of the World Moot Court Coordinator, Dr Eduardo Kapapelo.  

As part of the Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition, the Third Annual Nelson Mandela Human Rights Lecture was held on 18 July 2022 at the University of Geneva. The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of Human Rights in the context of Climate Change, Dr Ian Fry, led a panel discussion. The panel consisted of Dr Ashfaq Khalfan, Director of Climate Justice at Oxfam America, Ms Vanessa Nakate, Ugandan Youth Climate Activist and Ms Therese Arnesen, Human Rights Officer at the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The panel, which focused on climate justice, reflected on the role of states, international institutions and people on the fight against climate change, the achievements in the field and continued challenges.  The co-hosts of the lecture were the Geneva Academy for International and Humanitarian Law.

The Moot is made possible through the assistance of the European Union, through the Global Campus of Human Rights, and the government of Switzerland.

The Competition is unique in reaching a broad base of participants, including from those parts of the world where regional human rights systems have not been established, or have only been recently introduced.

Preliminary round teams

In 2022, the World Moot brought together the following participants during the Preliminary Rounds:

Africa Group

1. Botswana University of Botswana
2. Kenya Strathmore University
3. Kenya Kabarak University
4. Nigeria Lagos State University
5. Nigeria Ebonyi State University
6. Nigeria Mnamdi Azikiwe university, Awka
7. Nigeria University of Lagos
8. Nigeria University of Calabar
9. South Africa University of Fort Hare
10. South Africa University of Pretoria

Asia Pacific Group

1. China China University of Political Sciences and Law
2. Cambodia Royal University of Law and Management
3. Cambodia National University of Management
4. Bangladesh Chittagong Independent University
5. Bangladesh State university of Bangladesh
6. India Symbiosis Law School, Pune
7. India National Law Institute University, Bhopal
8. Malaysia University of Malaya
9. Singapore National University of Singapore
10. Singapore Singapore Management University

Latin America & Caribbean Group

1. Argentina University of Buenos Aires
2. Brazil State University of Bahia
3. Brazil Centro Universitario Curitiba (UNICURITIBA)
4. Brazil University of Sao Paulo
5. Peru Universidad Cesar Valleo
6. Ecuador Universidad Nacional del Santa

Western Europe & Others Group

1.Australia University of New South Wales
2. Australia University of New Castle
3. Australia Macquarie University
4. Germany Friedrich-Alexander - Universitat Erlangenn, Nuremberg
5. Canada St. Thomas University
6. Netherlands University College Roosevelt
7.Switzerland Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights
8. Turkey Koc University
9. United Kingdom Oxford University
10. United States of America US College of William and Mary

Eastern European Group

1. Belarus Belarusian State University

Memorials (written arguments) ranking

All registered teams are required to submit written arguments (memorials).
These memorials are assessed and serve as the basis on which 10 teams per UN region are selected for participation in the Preliminary Rounds.

Best Spanish-language memorials

1. Universidad Nacional del Santa (Peru)79%
2.Universidad Cesar Valleo (Peru)68%

Best English-language memorials

1. University of Oxford (United Kingdom) 91.2%
2. University of Pretoria (South Africa ) 91%
3. University of Buenos Aires (Argentina) 89%
4. Centro Universitário Curitiba (UNICURITIBA) (Brazil) 88%
5. University of Fort Hare (South Africa) 87.5%
6. University of Calabar (Nigeria) 86.5%
7. Koc University (Turkey) 85%
8. University of Botswana (Botswana) 85.5%
9. Kabarak Univeristy (Kenya)84.5%
10. University of New South Wales (Australia) 83%

Best teams in the preliminary rounds

Top team in the Spanish-language Preliminary Rounds

1. Universidad Nacional del Santa (Peru) 79%

Top ten teams in the English-language Preliminary Rounds

1. University of Oxford (United Kingdom) 93.55%
2.University of Buenos Aires (Argentina) 89.57%
3. Kabarak University (Kenya) 87.90%
4.Symbiosis School of Law, Pune (India) 86.67%
5. University of New South Wales (Australia) 86.50%
6. Singapore Management University (Singapore)85.95%
7. Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights (Switzerland) 84.63%
8. St. Thomas University (Canada) 84.30%
9. University of Pretoria (South Africa)83.40%
10. Koc University (Turkey) 83.25%

Quarter-finalists

1.Geneva Academy for International and Humanitarian Law (Switzerland)
2. Singapore Management University (Singapore)
3. University of Oxford (United Kingdom)
4. Symbiosis Law School (India)
5. Kabarak University (Kenya)
6. St. Thomas University (Canada)
7. University of Buenos Aires (Argentina)
8. University of New South Wales (Australia)

Semi-finalists

1.Geneva Academy for International and Humanitarian Law (Switzerland)
2.Singapore Management University (Singapore)
3.University of Oxford (United Kingdom)
4. Symbiosis Law School (India)

Finalists

1.Geneva Academy for International and Humanitarian Law (Switzerland)
2.Singapore Management University (Singapore)

Winning team

Singapore Management University (Singapore)

nmwcc 17

finalists nelson mandela world moot comp

The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, successfully presented the 14th edition of the Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition at the United Nations European headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The World Moot Court Competition focuses on the UN human rights treaties, where teams argue a hypothetical case in which state and non-state actors have violated these human rights treaties.

In commemoration of Nelson Mandela, the Moot, which is organised by the Centre for Human Rights, together with the Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law at the American University, Washington DC, in collaboration with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva (Human Rights Council branch), ordinarily takes place during the late statesman’s birthday, 18 July. However, due to the challenges posed by the global pandemic, the 2022 edition took place in a hybrid format; with preliminary rounds taking place from 20 to 27 May 2022 and finals taking place on 21 July 2022.

The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, cordially invites you to join the launch of The Digital Rights Landscape in Southern Africa report based on the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and other international and regional human rights instruments that are relevant in articulating human rights in the digital age. The report aims to improve the level of public interest and awareness on digital rights to exert direct influence on Southern African states to implement normative human rights in the digital age.

The Expression, Information and Digital Rights Unit cordially invites you to the first of five interactive sessions on the Implementation of the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), 2013. 

SESSION I Topic: Protection of Personal Information and Consent under the POPIA

The fourth of six-event series in the Pretoria-Marburg Queer Conversations: Scholarly and Activist Perspectives on LGBTIQ+ Lived Realities in Africa was held on 7 July 2022. The Centre for Sexualities, AIDS, and Gender (CSA&G) at the University Pretoria facilitated the webinar session in collaboration with the Center for Gender Studies and Feminist Futures (CGS) and the Centre for Conflict Studies (CCS) at the University of Marburg and the Centre for Human Rights (CHR) at the University of Pretoria. The Pretoria- Marburg Queer Conversations creates a monthly space for in-depth discussions designed to tap into the intersections of knowledge-production and transfer between diverse scholarly and activist spheres and contributes to methodological, conceptual, and normative aspects of centering LGBTIQ+ rights and lived realities in African contexts.

The Centre for Human Rights, in partnership with the UNHCR Regional Office for Southern Africa, cordially invites you to the webinar titled ‘Protecting persons displaced in the context of climate change and disasters in Africa’.

On 9 June 2022, the Center for Gender Studies and Feminist Futures (CGS) and the Centre for Conflict Studies (CCS) at the University of Marburg coordinated the third webinar in the Pretoria-Marburg Queer Conversations: Scholarly and Activist Perspectives on LGBTIQ+ Lived Realities in Africa in collaboration with the Centre for Sexualities, AIDS, and Gender (CSA&G) at the University Pretoria and the Centre for Human Rights (CHR) at the University of Pretoria. The Pretoria- Marburg Queer Conversations creates a monthly space for in-depth discussions designed to tap into the intersections of knowledge-production and transfer between diverse scholarly and activist spheres and contributes to methodological, conceptual, and normative aspects of centering LGBTIQ+ rights and lived realities in African contexts.

The Free State Centre for Human Rights, University of the Free State in collaboration with the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, the Thabo Mbeki School of International Affairs, University of South Africa, the Human Rights Centre, University of Dayton and the National University of Lesotho, present the Fifth International Conference on the Right to Development under the theme ‘Realising the Right to Development: Between coups d’état and the syndrome of life presidency in Africa’.

The Disability Rights Unit Clinic, Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, hosted a Zoom webinar to call for the ratification of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Africa (African Disability Protocol).

The LLM/MPhil in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa (HRDA) class of 2022, from the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, visited Ambassadors, High Commissioners, Consular, and Chargé d'affaires of the Republics of Cameroon, Gabon, Togo, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Malawi to the Republic of South Africa, to implore these African Union Member States to ratify the African Disability Rights Protocol.

The Ambassadors, High Commissioners, Consular, and Chargé d'affaires, welcomed the students’ call and pledged that their governments would take actionable steps toward ratifying the Protocol.

On 1 July 2022, the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, in conjunction with Validity Foundation, held an Africa regional online consultation on the CRPD draft guidelines on deinstitutionalisation, including in emergencies.

The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria (CHR) is looking for a consultant to undertake a survey on the state of access to information during elections following the 2019 elections in South Africa. This falls under the access to information and elections project of the Expression, Information and Digital Rights Unit of the CHR.

Join us as we discuss why African States should ratify the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Persons with disability in  Africa.

The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria is pleased to announce the continued expansion of the project on assessing State compliance with the Guidelines on Access to Information and Elections in Africa (the Guidelines). The Guidelines is a soft law instrument developed by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Commission) and adopted during its 61st Ordinary Session in November 2017. It derives from article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights which guarantees the right of access to information.  The Guidelines require the Member States of the African Charter to give effect to the right of access to information through legislative and other measures.

This year’s advanced course on Children’s rights in Africa took place from 20 to 24 June 2022. The course was hosted by the Centre for Human Rights (CHR), University of Pretoria (UP), in collaboration with the Centre for Child law, University of Pretoria and Dullah Omar Institute, University of Western Cape (UWC) online via zoom.

The Centre for Human Rights cordially invites stakeholders including States parties, right-holders under the Convention, principally persons with disabilities through their representative organizations, other civil society organizations, independent monitoring mechanisms, national human rights institutions, and Human Rights Treaty Bodies and Special Procedures mandate holders to participate in the Africa Regional Online Consultation that is scheduled to take place on 01 July 2022, at 10:00 am SAST.

The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, condemns the disbarring of lawyer Muzi Simelane by Eswatini Chief Justice Bheki Maphalala. The Chief Justice disbarred Mr Simelane by way of notice in April 2018 on the basis of alleged contempt. Since he was banned from appearing in any court in Eswatini, Mr Simelane has not practised law for the past four years. The Chief Justice issued the notice from his chambers without any court hearing, application by the Law Society of Swaziland or determination by a tribunal that the lawyer had committed an act of misconduct. Chief Justice Maphalala purported to act in accordance with sections 139(5) and 142 of the Constitution of Eswatini when he issued the notice mero motu.  On 10 June 2022, Mr Simelane challenged his disbarment by the Chief Justice in the Supreme Court of Eswatini after several failed attempts to secure judicial redress.

On 23 June 2022, the Centre for Human Rights held a high-level meeting to encourage African Union (AU) member states to ratify three instruments. First, is the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Older Persons in Africa (Older Persons Protocol), which was adopted by the AU in 2016. Second, the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Africa (African Disability Protocol), adopted in 2018. Third, the Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (Kampala Convention) was adopted by the AU in 2009. The Older Persons Protocol and the African Disability Protocol are both not yet in force as they are yet to receive the 15 ratifications necessary for them to come into effect.

On 23 June 2022, the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria (the ‘Centre’) hosted a roundtable discussion for alumni of its Capacity Building Workshop on Strategic Litigation and Advocacy for LGBTIQ+ Human Rights Defenders in Africa. The workshop is the Centre’s annual event designed to assist LGBTIQ+ activists in Africa to effectively promote and protect LGBTIQ+ rights through domestic, regional, and international level strategic litigation and advocacy using African-specific approaches. The annual workshop is targeted at experienced activists in Africa who want to build on their capacity, develop their skills, and network with activists from other parts of Africa. The workshop seeks to strengthen the capacity of civil society organisations in Africa so that they can better pursue legal challenges and advocate on behalf of LGBTIQ+ individuals at risk of or who have suffered serious violations of human rights under domestic African laws. The workshop also aims to have participants think through and develop autochthonous, African-specific ways of advocacy and strategic litigation, and learn from each other about the challenges of filing cases at domestic courts.

‘Access to asylum: The gateway to safety and refugee rights’ was the theme under which the Centre for Human Rights in the Faculty of Law at the University of Pretoria (UP) marked World Refugee Day during a panel discussion held recently.

We are pleased to invite you to participate in a hybrid conference on children’s rights organised by the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria. The conference is scheduled, to take place from 28 - 29 June 2022, in Pretoria, South Africa. 

Of 55 member states of the African Union, only six have the Portuguese language as an official language. This presents challenges and opportunities for the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in its mandate to promote the respect for and monitor the implementation of human rights on the continent. The Centre for Human Rights (the Centre) in collaboration with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Commission) are hosting a hybrid workshop with five PALOPs on using the state reporting process to monitor the implementation of the rights contained in 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 Centre for Human Rights (the Centre) is looking for experienced local researchers to conduct a review of discriminatory laws related to violence against women (VAW) in the following countries: Angola, Botswana, Gabonese Republic, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco,  Sierra Leone, Mali and Cape Verde.

The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, cordially invites you to the launch of a report focusing on a study carried out to monitor the impact of COVID-19 and related emergency measures on persons with disabilities in Southern Africa.

On 6 June 2022, the Disability Rights Unit at the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria hosted a capacity-building training workshop for African civil society to implement and monitor the implementation of human rights of persons with albinism in Africa. The aim of the workshop was to equip persons with albinism with tools to enable them to be better placed to engage with National, regional and international mechanisms including and not limited to reporting, engagement with the UN systems such as independent experts and special rapporteurs and periodic reporting as advocacy tools. The countries represented at the workshop were Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Tanzania.

The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria invites you to a webinar discussion on Climate Justice Litigation in Africa. The webinar discussion is part of the efforts of the Centre in improving climate justice in Africa. The discussion aims to raise awareness around the legal framework on climate justice and its application in Africa, and how litigation may be utilised as part of broader advocacy campaigns for climate justice. The discussion will feature experts and activists to discuss the existing climate change legal framework and the role of litigation in getting governments and other gas emitters to act.

Most refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Africa remain displaced for prolonged periods of time. Often, their rights are highly restricted, and they live in precarious conditions which undermine their ability to attain durable solutions. The absence of durable solutions to the plights of many displaced persons affects their lives in displacement and beyond.

As part of the Christof Heyns African Human Rights Moot Court Competition, which takes place from 25 to 30 July 2022, at the Faculty of Law, the British University in Egypt, in Cairo, Egypt, a one-day International Human Rights Conference will also be held on 28 July 2022. 

ACCA is seeking to hire an independent consultant to develop a 5-year strategic plan for the Coalition. The overall objective of this assignment is to facilitate and support the development of a Strategic Plan

Dans le cadre du Concours Africain de Procès Simulé des Droits de l’HommeDans le cadre du Concours Africain de Procès Simulé des Droits de l’HommeChristof Heyns, qui se déroulera du 25 au 30 juillet 2022, à la Facultéde droit de l’Université Britannique en Égypte, au Caire, en Égypte, uneconférence internationale d’une journée sur les droits de l’homme auraégalement lieu le 28 juillet 2022. Les langues de travail de la Conférence sontl’anglais, le français, le portugais et l’arabe avec interprétation simultanée.

EN 14th Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition Poster14th Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition


The sixteen teams that qualified for the in-person rounds in Geneva are – in alphabetical order - the following universities:

Africa Group

  • Kenya - Kabarak University
  • Nigeria - Ebonyi State University
  • South Africa - University of Pretoria

Asia Pacific Group

  • India - National Law Institute University, Bhopal,
  • India - Symbiosis School of law, Pune
  • Malaysia - University of Malaya
  • Singapore - Singapore Management University

Latin America & Caribbean Group

  • Argentina - University of Buenos Aires

Western Europe & Others Group

  • Australia - University of New South Wales
  • Australia - Mcquire University
  • Canada - St Thomas University
  • Netherlands - University College Roosevelt
  • Switzerland - Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights
  • Turkey Koc - University
  • United Kingdom - University of Oxford

Eastern European Group

  • Belarus - Belarusian State University

For more information, please contact:

Over 100 students, academics and experts from more than 50 countries joined the four-day long Global Classroom 2022 on internal displacement, amiably hosted by the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria. The programme included presentations by seven student research teams on regional approaches and case studies on topics such as climate disaster-induced displacement; the impact of ongoing conflicts on displaced women and children; an analysis of the Kampala Convention and the UN Guiding Principle on internal displacement; and the role of state and non-state organisations in supporting IDPs. 

Every year, over a hundred talented law students from across the African continent gather in a different capital city to compete at the prestigious Christof Heyns African Human Rights Moot Court Competition, the largest mock court competition in Africa. Here, young aspiring lawyers act as both prosecution and defense in a cutting-edge fictional human rights court case, each hoping to win the case and bring back the trophy to their home country. African Moot follows four passionate teams from Cape Town, Cairo, Kampala and Nairobi during their months of preparation for a case dealing with refugee rights. The film joins them on their journey to Botswana, where they converge for one intense week of legal oratory, debate, adventure, bonding and high emotion, leading to a dramatic finale before international judges at Botswana’s highest court. 

The Centre for Human Rights (CHR) and the Centre for Sexualities, AIDS, and Gender (CSA&G) at the University Pretoria together with the Center for Gender Studies and Feminist Futures (CGS) and the Center for Conflict Studies (CCS) at the Philipps-University Marburg cordially invite you the third edition of the Pretoria-Marburg Queer Conversations on the Colonial Legacies of Anti-LGBTIQ+ Rights in African States.

The International Development Law Unit, Centre for Human Rights together in collaboration with Oxfam cordially invite you to a hybrid webinar to launch the reports for the New Development Bank Transparency and Accountability Series.

The Women’s Rights Unit Clinic, Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, hosted a Zoom webinar on the implementation of the Gender Action Plan (2017) to support gender-responsive climate action in Africa.

The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, hosts an annual conference on disability rights in an African context during the month of November. The inaugural disability rights conference was held in 2013. The annual conference serves as a platform for convening dialogue amongst key stakeholders on disability rights, and to  spotlight  pertinent and emerging disability rights concerns in the African region.

On the 26 and 27 May 2022, the Children’s Rights Unit at the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria hosted a meeting to validate its draft regional study report on child participation in the implementation of the Global and Regional Development with a focus on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the African Union (AU) Agenda 2063, and the AU Agenda 2040 for Children. 

The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria (the Centre) at a meeting on 24 May 2022, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Office for Public Defender and Citizens’ Rights Commission in Kogi State, Nigeria (PDCRC). The PDCRC is a hybrid institution that provides legal aid for indigent individuals in Kogi State and also serves as a Human Rights Commission that tries to advance human rights in Kogi State.

The Women’s Rights Unit of the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, cordially invites you to a webinar on implementation of the gender action plan to support gender responsive climate action in Africa.

Following the success of the first edition of the series, the 2022 Pretoria-Marburg Queer Conversations continues with a discussion on ‘Threats to Human Rights for LGBTIQ+ Communities: Hate Crimes and Conversion Therapy’.

The Disability Rights UnitCentre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria held a two-day regional convening on Promoting access to justice for persons with intellectual and psychosocial disabilities in Southern Africa from 16 to 17 May 2022 at Capital Hotel Menlyn Maine in Pretoria, South Africa.

The Institute for International and Comparative Law in Africa (ICLA) invites members of the Faculty and broader University Community to a seminar entitled: The role of constitutional courts in post-coup d’état and post-insurrection transitions: The West African cases of Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali.

The Centre for Human Rights (CHR) in partnership with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) under the aegis of the Rule of Law Program for Sub Saharan Africa developed an easy reference booklet that summarises the Bill of Rights as espoused in the constitution of Zambia.

Global Campus Africa, in partnership with The Master’s Programme in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa (HRDA) Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, cordially invite you to the Global Classroom 2022 on Internal Displacement.

Dates: 30 May - 3 June 2022, 10:00-15:30 CEST

Shifting language(s): the evolving landscape of words and meanings in queer lives

On the occasion of IDAHOBIT 2022, the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, and the Centre for Sexualities, AIDS and Gender, University of Pretoria, in partnership with the Embassy of France in South Africa and the Alliance Française in Pretoria are hosting a panel discussion on the theme “Shifting language(s): the evolving landscape of words and meanings in queer lives”.

On 21 April 2022, the Centre for Sexualities, AIDS, and Gender (CSA&G) at the University Pretoria, facilitated the first webinar in the Pretoria-Marburg Queer Conversations: Scholarly and Activist Perspectives on LGBTIQ+ Lived Realities in Africa  in collaboration with the Centre for Human Rights (CHR) and the Center for Conflict Studies (CCS) as well as the Center for Gender Studies and Feminist Futures (CGS), Philipps-University of Marburg. The Pretoria- Marburg Queer Conversations creates a monthly space for in-depth discussions designed to tap into the intersections of knowledge-production and transfer between diverse scholarly and activist spheres and contributes to methodological, conceptual, and normative aspects of centering LGBTIQ+ rights and lived realities in African contexts.

The Centre for Human Rights,Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, in collaboration with the Global School on Socio-Economic Rights Adjudication partners: University of Oslo, University of Stellenbosch, Centre for health and human rights at Harvard University,Universidad de Los Andes, and Abo Akademi University hosted their annual Advanced Human Rights Course (AHRC) on the “Judicial Enforcement of Socio-Economic Rights in Africa” from 2 - 6 May 2022.

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