15th Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition
The Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition is organised by Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, American University, Washington College of Law, The Commonwealth Secretariat, and United Nations Human Rights Council Branch (HRCB) at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The competition is open to all masters and undergraduate students from all universities in the world.
Moving on to the first round, a scholarship opportunity is provided for successful students who qualified for the preliminary ground of the competition. The scholarship amount of 5000 British Pounds to a team (two students) from a Commonwealth country to be used for the purposes of travel and accommodation in Geneva. Read further to learn how to apply!
The Fifteenth Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition adopts a hybrid format, with the in-person final rounds scheduled to take place at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland from 17 – 21 July 2023 and the preliminary virtual rounds (online) scheduled to take place from 20 – 27 May 2023.
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About the Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Competition
The World Moot is open to undergraduate and masters students from all universities in the world. Teams of two students (gender diversity is encouraged) from every university in the world are invited to submit heads of argument for a hypothetical human rights case. The 50 teams with the highest memorial grades are invited to participate in the preliminary oral rounds and present their arguments to human rights experts and judges of international tribunals at the UN headquarters in Geneva.
The Moot Court Competition is the largest gathering of students, academics and judges around the theme of human rights in the world. The Competition is open to students around the world. A team of two students from each university – preferably one woman and one man (gender diversity is encouraged) – is invited to participate in the competition.
The best 10 teams from each UN region are then invited to participate in the online preliminary rounds. Teams then have to argue the two sides of the hypothetical case, representing, alternatively, both the Applicant and the Respondent before a ‘bench’ of human rights experts.
The 16 best teams proceed to the in person Octofinal rounds, which is presided over by international human rights experts. The Competition is presented in English, French and in Spanish.
As part of the Competition, an Annual Nelson Mandela Human Rights Lecture is held. In 2023 the Fourth Annual Nelson Mandela Human Rights Lecture will held on 18 July. In 2019 the inaugural Nelson Mandela Lecture was presented by Retired Justice Albie Sachs – an apartheid struggle icon and former judge of the Constitutional Court of South Africa - delivered the lecture, along with H.E. Michelle Bachelet, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. In 2021 the Second Annual Nelson Mandela Human Rights Lecture was held virtually on 14 July 2021. Former United Nation High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms Navi Pillay, led a panel discussion consisting of Dr Gay, McDougall, former member of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Ms Edna Maria Santos Roland, Chair/Rapporteur of the Group of Independent Eminent Experts on the Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, Ms Mona Rishwami, Chief Rule of Law, Equality and Non-Discrimination Branch, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
How To Register
Registration for the 14th Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition is done in these steps:
STEP 1
Faculty Registration. Click here to register
Faculty Registration opens 15 November 2022
Registration closes 1 May 2023
STEP 2
Submission of memorials
Submit by 1 May 2023
Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition: Documents
The memorials of registered teams will be evaluated by a team of human rights experts. The best 50 teams from the 5 UN regions will be selected to participate in the preliminary virtual rounds in May 2022. The hypothetical case focuses on human rights issues and is based on the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other human rights instruments.
Calendar For The Moot Competition
Faculty Registration
Faculty registration opens 15 November 2023
Registration closes 1 May 2023
Release of the hypothetical case to be argued
15 January 2023
Request for clarification of facts
Submit by 15 February 2023
Response to requests for clarification of facts
Publicised by 10 March 2023
Submission of memorials
Submit by 1 May 2023
Announcement of the 50 qualifying teams
15 May 2023
Welcome and Opening Ceremony (Online)
19 May 2023
Preliminary Rounds (online)
20 to 27 May 2023
Quarter-finals and Semi-finals and Final Round (in person)
17 - 21 July 2023
About The Christ of Heyns Memorial Commonwealth Scholarship
The Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, South Africa in the framework of its cooperation with the Commonwealth Secretariat generously offers two scholarships in the amount of 2.500 British Pounds to a team (two students) from a Commonwealth country to be used for the purposes of travel and accommodation in Geneva.
The Scholarship is established to continue the legacy of Prof. Heyns in expanding human rights education and giving opportunities to deserving but economically disadvantaged students from commonwealth nations to participate in the Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition.
The amount of the Scholarship is 5000 British Pounds. The amount is divided between the two students (oralists) from commonwealth countries who successfully qualify to take part in the preliminary rounds of the World Moot.
Applicants must:
- Be citizens of a commonwealth member state
- Be studying at a university within a commonwealth member state
- Demonstrate the need for economic support to participate in the world moot
How to apply
Applications must consist of:
- A letter of motivation
- At least two letters of support, with referees’ contact details indicated
- Submit applications to Dr. Eduardo Kapapelo at, eduardo.kapapelo@up.ac.za
For more information on the Moot Competition, visit their FAQs page or contact the Coordinator, Dr Eduardo Kapapelo, preferably by email at eduardo.kapapelo@up.ac.za.
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