Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition 2024

The Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition is an international human rights law moot court competition.

Participation in the Competition is open to students from all universities in the world. The Competition involves a written phase after which teams are selected for the oral phase. Teams argue a hypothetical case on issues of international human rights law, as if they were before a hypothetical world Human Rights Court, on the basis of the International Bill of Human Rights and other applicable (such as regional) human rights instruments.

The 2020 Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition will include a one-day event, designed to expose students to the work of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights as well as the Human Rights Council. This will involve personal interaction with senior staff members of both institutions who are involved key activities and processes. This practical exercise promises to be an eye –opening and personally enriching series of encounters which will add value to what many World Moot participants have already described as the highlight of their university studies.

Aim and Benefits

No registration fees are charged
However, participants must cover all their own costs (air tickets, accommodation, meals and medical insurance).
As participants have to cover all their costs, they are encouraged to begin fundraising as soon as possible. Donors may include embassies, the UN and EU, bar associations and law firms, corporate donors and their own universities.

Requirements

The Competition is open to both undergraduate and master’s degree law students.
A team of two students from each university – preferably one woman and one man – is invited to participate.

Interview date, Process and Venue

Selection Process:

In the preliminary rounds the students submit heads of argument for a hypothetical case, which are assessed by a panel of experts.
The best 10 teams from each UN region are then invited to participate in the pre-final and final rounds of the Competition in Geneva. Here, teams have to argue the two sides of the hypothetical case, the Applicant and the Respondent, before a ‘bench’ of human rights experts.
The two best teams proceed to the final round, which is presided over by judges from international courts and tribunals. The Competition will be held in English and French.

The Sixteenth 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 15 – 19 July 2024 and the preliminary virtual rounds (online) scheduled to take place from 14 – 21 May 2024.