Press Statement: Centre for Human Rights condemns arrests of LGBTIQ+ human rights defenders in Ghana
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, condemns the recent series of attacks against the LGBTIQ+ community and LGBTIQ+ human rights defenders in the Republic of Ghana. In a press release dated 21 May 2021, the Ghana Police Service claimed it had arrested 21 persons (16 females and 5 males) at a ‘supposed conference, advocating LGBTQI activities’. The police arrested these human rights defenders, who were attending a paralegal training, and charged them before a Circuit Court for unlawful assembly under section 202 of the Criminal Offences Act of Ghana. The court remanded all 21 persons in police custody for 2 weeks.
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In celebration of IDAHOBIT 2021, the Flemish Representative in South Africa in collaboration with the SOGIESC Unit of the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria and the Centre for Sexualities, AIDS and Gender, University of Pretoria, hosted a virtual webinar to explore the theme of healing after harm aimed at LGBTIQ+ people and their allies.
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In 2021, the members of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (the Committee) are organizing a series of online regional consultations with people with disabilities, through their representative organizations. This note is about the consultation for countries in Africa or regional consultation for Africa.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, is deeply concerned about the ongoing suppression of freedom of expression in Ethiopia and condemns the arbitrary detention and expulsion of Mr Simon Marks, a news reporter who had resided in Ethiopia for two years.
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In celebration of IDAHBOIT 2021, the Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) Unit of the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, hosted a virtual webinar to launch the report on Current Practices in Conversion Therapy, Emerging Technology, and the Protection of LGBTQ+ Rights in Africa on the occasion of IDAHOBIT 2021, celebrated on May 17, 2021.
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The Centre for Human Rights held a one-week intensive short course on judicial enforcement of socio-economic rights from 17 to 21 May 2021. The short course is part of the Global School on Socioeconomic Rights Adjudication and is launched jointly with the University of Oslo, University of Stellenbosch, Centre for health and human rights at Harvard University, Universidad de Los Andes, and Abo Akademi University.
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The Disability Rights and Women's Rights Clinics at the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, cordially invite you to an advocacy meeting on ratifying the African Disability Rights Protocol and the Older Persons Protocol.
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The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, with the support of Google, is presenting a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on the right to privacy in the digital age in Africa. The course focuses on the key elements of the right to privacy and data protection in the digital age in Africa. The course aims to educate and set the tone for an improved data protection landscape within the African region.
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Child participation is one of the general principles of children’s rights. It is a principle that has gained gradual support and acceptance among child rights advocates and practitioners, who, recognizing its pivotal role in fostering the optimum development and exercise of rights by children. This growing acceptance notwithstanding, child participation is also one of the least developed areas of rights in practice. There is still significant resistance to children’s participation in mainstream society, which results in either exclusion of their voices, or tokenist participation that does not meet the threshold of meaningful participation.
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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 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.
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You are cordially invited to a webinar hosted by the General Representation of the Government of Flanders/Embassy of Belgium in South Africa in collaboration with the SOGIESC Unit of the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria and the Centre for Sexualities, AIDS and Gender, University of Pretoria.
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The Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) Unit of the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, cordially invites you to the virtual launch of a new report titled Report on Current Practices in Conversion Therapy, Emerging Technology, and the Protection of LGBTQ+ Rights in Africa. The launch will feature a webinar panel discussion and a Q&A session with the audience.
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You are cordially invited to the Opening Ceremony of the 13th Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition, which will be held online on Thursday 1 July 2021.
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The Editors of the African Yearbook of International law are making preparation for volume 25 of the Yearbook (2021) and would like to invite scholarly contributions in the form of an article, note, commentary (on recent developments in Africa or outside events of particular relevance to Africa), or a short digest of State practice or judicial decisions in African countries.
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On the occasion of the Annual Conference of the MSA Africa Chapter, the conveners (of the conference invite submission for papers that discuss African memory discourses, context and practices that highlight African perspectives on memory studies as a scholarly field.
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Climate change has been identified by United Nations’ agencies and experts as one of the biggest threats to children’s health. Globally, children are being detrimentally affected by climate shocks (e.g. droughts, floods, cyclones) and related diseases, polluted air, soil and water, exposure to toxic substances. Despite contributing the least to the causes of climate change, children are the worst affected by it, right now and in the future.
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The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights is developing a general comment on Land and Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The purpose of this general comment is to clarify the specific obligations of States parties relating to land and the governance of tenure of land under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
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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 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.
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The Trans Protocol is a guideline to strengthen and support the Anti-Discrimination Policy of the University of Pretoria (UP). It is directed towards the eradication of discrimination against transgender (trans), intersex, gender non-conforming and non-binary members of the student and staff body, and towards building a positive and affirming environment. It has been presented to the University’s Institutional Transformation Committee (ITC) for consideration as an approach to supporting trans, intersex, gender non-conforming and non-binary students and staff in the places where they live, study or work. It suggests specific steps to engage with places of residence, study and work to build support for students and staff.
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The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria wishes to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the World Press Freedom Day today, 3 May 2021. The celebrations for the World Press Freedom Day began in 1991 at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s (UNESCO) Conference where the landmark Windhoek Declaration was adopted. The Declaration which focused on print media considered various issues on freedom of expression, access to information and the public service role of journalism.
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The Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Pretoria, Professor Tawana Kupe, cordially invites you to the first Nobel Prize Dialogue to be held in Africa.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, with the support of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, cordially invites you to apply for its hybrid model (in person and on zoom) Capacity Building Workshop on Strategic Litigation and Advocacy for human rights defenders working on the promotion and protection of the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and other non-binary and gender-nonconforming persons in Africa.
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Lesbian Visibility Day aims to celebrate and support lesbian women by increasing the visibility of the lesbian community and raising awareness on the issues experienced by the lesbian community. Since 2008, Lesbian Visibility Day has been celebrated annually on 26 April. It has now grown into a week-long event known as Lesbian Visibility Week and, this year, it is being celebrated from 26 April 2021 to 2 May 2021.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, condemns the recent series of hate crimes against LGBTIQ+ communities in South Africa, specifically the recent series of murders of LGBTIQ+ individuals.
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The Centre for Human Rights (Centre) invites applications for the position of Project Coordinator for a Constitutional Literacy project. The Centre, with the support of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), is engaged with a project to develop simple, easy-reference and accessible “booklets” explaining the Bill of Rights of three countries in Southern and East Africa: Kenya, Malawi and Zambia. The aim is to raise awareness among the citizens of these countries and deepen an inclusive and participatory constitutional culture.
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The Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Pretoria (UP), Professor Tawana Kupe, held a symposium in memory of Professor Christof Heyns, Professor of Human Rights Law at University of Pretoria.
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On 17 April 2021, at its 68th ordinary session, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Commission) had one of its series of stakeholders’ dialogue on human rights situation in Africa.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, South Africa, is calling for applications for the Master's degree (LLM/MPhil) in Sexual & Reproductive Rights in Africa (SRRA) for the Class of 2022.
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The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (African Children’s Charter or Charter) was adopted 31 years ago. To date, 50 countries have ratified the African Children’s Charter, which demonstrates a growing commitment to the respect, protection and promotion of the rights of children. There is no doubt that the Charter has contributed immensely to the development of standards and practice related to children in the region.
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The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, in collaboration with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, will be hosting a conference on the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights @40, on 2 July 2021. The conference will be held in memory of Professor Christof Heyns.
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On Friday 16 April 2021, under the direction of Professor Elsabe Schoeman and Prof Frans Viljoen, the Faculty of Law and the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, celebrated and honoured the life of Prof Christof Heyns.
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The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, and the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa are pleased to announce a one-day conference on the responsiveness of the African human rights system to sexual and gender-based violence and hereby invite proposals for papers. The conference will be held as part of the 30th African Human Rights Moot Court Competition. There will be an opportunity to present the papers either in-person or online, as the Conference will be held as a hybrid event.
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Professor Yash Ghai, a Kenyan academic and constitutional lawyer, on 15 April 2021 was awarded an honorary degree by the Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria
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To honour the memory of our colleague whose untimely death on 28 March 2021 has been an incalculable loss not just to the University of Pretoria and academia at large, but particularly to us at the Pretoria University Law Press (PULP), we have decided to rename what was previously announced as the “Pretoria University Law Press Thesis Prize” as the “Christof Heyns Memorial Thesis Award.”
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Established in 1992, the African Human Rights Moot Court Competition (African Moot Competition) turns 30 years this year. The competition is organised each year by the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, in collaboration with a faculty of law in a host country on the continent.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, condemns the unlawful arrest and detention of Edwin Mutemi wa Kiama, a human rights activist in Kenya, following a viral post on his Twitter handle under the #StopLoaningKenya on 6 April 2021.
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State reporting is an essential component in monitoring the implementation of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Charter) on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol). It serves a number of crucial functions which includes stock-taking of the concrete steps undertaken by ratifying states towards compliance with treaty obligations, identifying problems and challenges to full implementation of treaty obligations as well as providing an opportunity for state parties to engage in constructive engagement with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Commission) and to benefit from their recommendations.
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On Wednesday 14th April 2021 we will hold a Zoom panel event which is being run by the Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA), the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria, and the Human Rights Implementation Centre in Bristol.
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On April 15 2021, African Coalition for Corporate Accountability (ACCA) and Accountability Counsel will co-host the second in a series of webinars following their publication of our report “Accountability in Africa: Harm from International Financial Flows and Strategies for Supporting Community-Led Access to Remedy.”
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In 2012, the Centre for Human Rights, in collaboration with la Rencontre Africaine pour la Défense des Droits de l’Homme (RADDHO), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) based in Senegal, submitted a communication to the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (Committee) regarding the violation of the rights of a group of children in Senegal, colloquially regarded as Talibé children.
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The event commemorating Christof Heyns will be held on Saturday 10 April 2021 at 11:00 SAST (South African Standard Time). The event will be live streamed.
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(By Frans Viljoen)
South Africa has a painful history of police using excessive force against protesters. In one of the worst incidents under the apartheid government 69 protesters were shot in cold blood by police outside a police station in Sharpeville in 1960.
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The 2021 Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition will be held in an adjusted hybrid format due to the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the event’s organisers have announced.
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The African Disability Rights Yearbook (ADRY) is calling for papers for consideration for publication in Section A of the ADRY in 2021. The ADRY publishes once a year with a focus on disability rights issues and developments of contemporary concern to persons with disabilities on the African continent. The ADRY is published by the Pretoria University Law Press (PULP) and is published as a peer-reviewed open-access journal.
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The staff at the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, is deeply affected and distressed by the sudden and tragic passing of our respected and beloved colleague, friend, mentor and teacher Prof Christof Heyns.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, South Africa, is very concerned about the status of one student of the Global Campus of Human Rights, Saw Lin Htet, who has been arrested and detained by Myanmar security forces on 23 March 2021 after an arbitrary search of his car.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria (UP), is deeply saddened by the sudden passing of its previous Director, Professor Christof Heyns. His death is an incredible loss, and he will be truly missed by us and so many others across the world.
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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 voter apathy in South African youth. The webinar will interrogate the issues that influence voter apathy in South African youth, informed by the trends of the two most recent election cycles, to understand how young people will participate in the upcoming local government elections in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and the existing issues.
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By Bonolo Makgale and Tariro Sekeramayi
Dr. John Henrik Clarke once remarked, “History is not everything, but it is a starting point. History is a clock that people use to tell their political and cultural time of day. It is a compass they use to find themselves on the map of human geography. It tells them where they are, but more importantly, what they must be.”
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On 22 March 2021, at its 46th ordinary session, the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) had its enhanced interactive dialogue on oral updates on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The HRC was updated about the human rights situation in the DRC by the High Commissioner on Human Rights, the Special Representative of the Secretary General and Head of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the DRC and the International Team of Experts on the Kasai Region.
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From 8 to 12 March 2021, the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, hosted the Advanced Human Rights Course on Disability Rights in an African context. The short course was presented using a hybrid approach, with participants joining both in person at the University of Pretoria’s Future Africa campus as well as virtually via Zoom.
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The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, is seeking a Network Officer for the Global Engagement Network on Internal Displacement in Africa (GENIDA). The deadline for applications is 26 March 2021.
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The African Coalition for Corporate Accountability (ACCA), in collaboration with the Business and Human Rights Unit, Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, is convening a webinar on the COVID-19 vaccine and the related inequalities between the global north and the global south. The purpose of the webinar is to discuss the pressing issues from an African perspective.
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Human Rights Day on 21 March marks over 60 years since the Sharpeville Massacre. On this day, we remember that people were shot as they protested against the unjust pass laws which limited freedom of movement.
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The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, congratulates the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) on the virtual launch of the Pan-African Parliament Day (PAP Day) on 18 March 2021. The PAP Day commemorates the inauguration of the first Parliament of the PAP on 18 March 2004, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
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The Centre for Human Rights commends the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the adoption of Resolution 473 on the “need to undertake a study on human and peoples’ rights and artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and other new and emerging technologies in Africa”.
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By: Bonolo Makgale and Tariro Sekeramayi
Introduction
Dr. John Henrik Clarke once remarked, “History is not everything, but it is a starting point. History is a clock that people use to tell their political and cultural time of day. It is a compass they use to find themselves on the map of human geography. It tells them where they are, but more importantly, what they must be.”
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The annual Advanced Human Rights Course (AHRC) on the African human rights system in comparative perspectives in comparative perspectives is held from 15 to 19 March 2021. The course is hosted by the Centre for Human Rights in collaboration with Ghent University
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, wishes to congratulate Advocate Doctor Mashabane on his appointment as Director-General, Justice and Constitutional Development Department in South Africa. The Department oversees administrative and financial support for the court system, the judiciary, the National Prosecuting Authority, gives legal advice and representation to state organs and facilitates legal reform.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, wishes to congratulate its alumnus, Dr John Osogo Ambani on his recent appointment as the Dean and Associate Professor of the School of Law, Kabarak University, Nakuru, Kenya. Professor Ambani belonged to the 2006 LLM Class of the Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa (HRDA) programme. He also obtained his Doctor of Laws degree from the Faculty in 2016.
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The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretroia welcomed the second cohort of Master’s students on the LLM/MPhil Disability Rights in Africa (DRIA) programme during an orientation week (Week Zero) which was held from 3 to 5 March 2021.
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The Business and Human Rights Unit, the Democracy and Civic Engagement Unit and the Expression, Information and Digital Rights Unit at the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, invite you to a webinar on elections, internet shutdowns and access to information to discuss how internet shutdowns are fast becoming a new threat to democracy in Africa.
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As Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, we express our sadness that on 10 March 2021, a human life was lost as a result of police violence. We grieve with the family and friends for this senseless loss of life. We condemn the apparent excessive use of force by the police in response to peaceful protest.
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Binaries and Boxes
In conversation with Dr Mzikazi Nduna
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The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, is hosting a week-long advanced short course on disability rights in an African context from 8 to 12 March 2012. The short course is part of the Centre’s efforts to promote disability rights in Africa by raising awareness about the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) (2006) and the newly adopted Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Africa (African Disability Protocol) (2018).
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The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, is proud to announce the winners of this year’s FACES African Student Cellphone Film Competition. The purpose of the competition is to encourage students from Africa to express themselves and to engage with human rights issues of relevance to Africa, using available cellphone technology.
We thank every participant that took the time to submit an entry for FACES 2020.
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In commemorating International Women's Day (IWD)this year, the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, seeks to draw attention to the role of women as caregivers, and to challenge the social, legal and economic foundations that cultivate negative perceptions and consequences for women in caregiving roles. The COVID-19 pandemic has been particularly instrumental in bringing into sharp focus women’s caregiving burden globally, both in the work and family context.
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On 11 March 2021, the Human Rights Implementation Centre at the University of Bristol and the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria, held a webinar on the implementation of decisions and judgments of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the African Committee on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.
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Paradigm Initiative (PIN) and the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria are pleased to announce a partnership offering an academic course to 30 select participants of PIN’s programs and the Digital Rights and Inclusion Media Fellowship (DRIMF).
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The Advanced Human Rights Courses (AHRC) and the Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) Unit at the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria (UP) recently hosted the 2021 edition of its annual short course on Sexual Minority Rights in Africa. The course was presented through both virtual and physical sessions from 22 to 26 February 2021. The course was attended by 90 participants and more than 20 presenters from both across and outside Africa. Participants also included LLM/MPhil students on both the Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa (HRDA) and the Sexual and Reproductive Rights in Africa (SRRA) Masters programmes in the Faculty of Law, UP. Also in attendance were researchers and academics, judicial officers, government workers, and members of civil society. The hybrid format provided an opportunity for the Centre for Human Rights to accommodate a larger group of participants in an interactive, virtual classroom in conjunction with about twenty HRDA students who physically attended the course.
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The Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) Unit of the Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, is recruiting for the part-time position of Student Project Associate under a nine-month contract beginning on 1 April 2021 and ending on 31 December 2021, renewable based on performance and continued funding.
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After considerable consideration and wide consultations with all stakeholders, the organisers of the 2021 African Human Rights Moot Court Competition are pleased to announce that, while the preliminary rounds of this year’s competition will be held virtually, the quarter-final, semi-final and final rounds of the 30th edition of the Moot Competition will take place from 26 to 31 July 2021, in Stellenbosch, South Africa.
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The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, is seeking an Assistant Director (Operations). The deadline for applications is 1 March 2021.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, welcomes the coming into effect of Angola’s Penal Code decriminalising consensual same-sex acts between adults. The new Penal Code repeals articles 70 and 71 of the colonial Penal Code that had prohibited acts considered to be ‘against nature’ including same-sex sexual practices. These previous provisions adversely affected Angolan LGBTIQ+ communities and hindered their access to basic human rights such as access to justice, healthcare services, education, and employment.
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By Ashwanee Budoo-Scholtz
The African Union (AU) held the 38th Ordinary Session of its Executive Council at the beginning of February 2021. One of the agenda items was to elect six new members of the AU Commission.
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The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, is seeking a Manager for the Women's Rights Unit. The deadline for applications is 1 March 2021.
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The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, seeks to appoint an appropriately qualified researcher to conduct a study on the African Union Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC).
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The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child are pleased to announce the call for papers for the Fifth Volume of the African Human Rights Yearbook (AHRY). The First Volume, which was published at the end of 2017, comprised 17 articles while the Second Volume contained a total of 23 contributions. It was published in early 2019. The Third and the Fourth Volumes published end of 2019 and 2020, comprised respectively 25 and 24 contributions. This joint publication, which contains contributions in English, French, Portuguese and Arabic has been initiated in the framework of the complementarity relationships among the three institutions.
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The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, in partnership with Oxford University Faculty of Law, International Human Rights Clinic at the USC Gould School of Law, Oasis Network for Community Transformation and the Oxford University Cameroon Conflict Society cordially invite you to the Oxford Conference on US Senate Resolution 684 regarding the conflict in Anglophone Cameroon. This event is held in memory of the victims of the Ngarbuh Massacre which took place one year ago on 14 February 2020.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, gladly notes that the African Union (AU) policy organs elected Adv Dumisa Ntsebeza as a Judge on the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights. Adv Ntsebeza, a human rights stalwart of note, will be the second South African to serve on the continent’s highest human rights body.
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The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, wishes to support its alumnus, Professor Anthony Chima Diala on his recent recommendation to the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent by the United Nations Consultative Group on the mandate on 22 January 2021. Professor Diala is one of the two candidates put forward by the Consultative Group out of 10 initially selected candidates.
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The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, joins the commemoration of Data Protection Day, celebrated worldwide on 28 January. This year, it is the 40th anniversary of the Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data, also known as Convention 108. On 28 January 1981, the treaty opened for signature by the member states and for accession by non-member states. To date, it has been signed by close to forty countries including five African countries. The Convention has global applicability, as it is the only treaty on data protection that is open to any country in the world. Its principles have been transposed in national, regional and sub-regional data protection frameworks.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, welcomes and commends the signing of the South African Political Party Funding Act by President Cyril Ramaphosa. The Act will come into operation on 1 April 2021. The adoption of this law follows the ruling of the Constitutional Court on private political party funding in the case of My Vote Counts NPC v Minister of Justice and Correctional Services and Another, in which the Court reiterated that funding disclosure is part of the right to make informed political and electoral decisions.
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The Democracy and Civic Engagement Unit at the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, seeks to appoint an appropriately qualified individual for its internship programme based in Hatfield, Pretoria, South Africa.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria (Centre), welcomes the decision of the United Nations Human Rights Committee (HRC) holding the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) responsible for the extrajudicial execution of Pascal Kabungulu, a prominent human rights defender, at the hands of state agents. The Centre calls on the DRC government to give effect to the HRC’s decision and bring those responsible to justice.
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The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, in collaboration with the Council of Europe, hosted an online event to commemorate Data Protection Day 2021.
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Accountability Counsel and the African Coalition for Corporate Accountability (ACCA) cordially invite you to a webinar on the urgent need for community-led accountability in Africa.
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The Disability Rights Unit at the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, seeks to appoint an appropriately qualified individual for its internship programme based in Hatfield, Pretoria, South Africa.
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On 19 January 2021, the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, in partnership with the Global Academic Interdisciplinary Network (GAIN), hosted the Southern Africa Regional Sessions of the Virtual Conference on the 70th Anniversary of the founding of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, wishes to congratulate its graduate, Justice Miatta Maria Samba, who has just been elected as a Judge of the International Criminal Court (ICC). She will take her seat on the Court early in 2021.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, is concerned about ongoing discrimination on the basis of disability by airline carriers in Nigeria.
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On 7 and 8 December 2020, the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, and Tshwaranang Legal Advocacy Centre (TLAC), under the umbrella of the Solidarity for African Women's Rights (SOAWR) Network, held a workshop on the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol) and its efficacy as an advocacy tool for the protection and promotion of women’s rights.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, calls for applications for a full-time doctoral scholarship in the field of disability rights. The successful candidate will be based within the Centre, and will be expected to contribute to the work of the Centre’s Disability Rights Unit (for 25 hours per week), while attending to her/his LLD/DPhil work.
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For the first time since in its 12-year history, the Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition was wholly held online. The team of Strathmore University, Kenya, consisting of Mariam Malik and Eugene Kanyugo, claimed the title as 2020 winners. The runner-up team is Kenyatta University, also from Kenya.
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The Womens’ Rights Unit at the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, in collaboration with the Botswana Labour Migrants Association (BOLAMA), organised a workshop to consider the non-ratification of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol) by the government of Botswana. The aim of the workshop was to sustain advocacy efforts towards the ratification of the Maputo Protocol. The meeting was held online on 1 December 2020 and Ms Patience Mungwari, Ms Lydia Chibwe and Ms Anthonia Lola Dickson represented the Centre.
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The Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, cordially invite you to a global webinar on peaceful (and not so peaceful) assemblies: A fresh look at the international standards.
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Africa is experiencing the highest increase in the number of older persons’ population. Most of them are living longer with valuable capacities but with vulnerabilities too. Yet older person’s rights are neither recognised nor valued, and often suffer from abuse, assaults and even murder at the hands of those who should support and protect them. Older persons are often accused of witchcraft, blamed for misfortunes such as sudden deaths, HIV/AIDS, traffic accidents and even the weather. They are denied opportunities for employment, they have restricted access to land and property, and lack adequate legal protection. Older women in particular bear more risks due to the intersectionality of their age as well as other aspects such as gender, disability and poverty. This is due to the lack of policies or legal frameworks that can protect the rights of older people in the majority of African countries.
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On 10 December 2020, the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, held its annual graduation ceremony on International Human Rights Day. It was the first virtual human rights graduation ceremony due to COVID-19. The Centre awarded its annual Vera Chirwa Prize to two alumni (Solomon Dersso and Benyam Mezmur) for their role in contributing to the African Union’s human rights bodies both as members and chairpersons.
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For the first time, the Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition has taken place virtually in 2020.
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History was made on 5 December 2020 when the final round of the African Human Rights Moot Court Competition was for the first time held virtually. The combined team of Makerere University, Uganda, and the University of Pretoria, South Africa, who appeared for the applicants, emerged as the winners. The runner-up is the combined team of the University of Ghana, Legon; and Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny Cocody, Côte d'Ivoire.
