Date:     11 July 2011
Venue:  Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, South Africa

• To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the African Human Rights Moot Court Competition;
• On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Centre for Human Rights; and
• In commemoration of 30 years since the adoption of the African Charter on  Human and Peoples’ Rights

Call for Papers

• Download the electronic Call for Papers

Background and aim of the Conference

21 June 2011 marks the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the cornerstone of the African human rights system.

This conference aims to provide a forum for reflection on the past 30 years and discussion on the future: the Charter’s impact and contribution to the human rights ideal in Africa; the contemporary challenges it faces in responding adequately to the demands of rapidly evolving Africa societies; and its relevance to Africa in the era of the global village.

Themes for the Conference

Presentations at the conference may deal with any aspect of the African Charter or the African Commission, under one of the following general themes:

• History and and travaux préparatoires of the African Charter from a contemporary perspective
• Expanding the normative scope: evolutions in the interpretation of the African Charter over 30 years (for example regarding questions such as minorities, gender and development)
• Institutional development within the African Commission
  (including Special Rapporteurs and other mechanisms)
• The application of the African Charter by domestic and sub-regional courts, and other human rights institutions in Africa
• Any other question relating to human rights in Africa may be examined insofar as it relates to the African Charter or the African Commission, including  compliance with the African Charter

Process: Potential presenters

• Those interested in presenting a paper must submit an abstract containing their name, the proposed title and a brief summary of the argument / contribution of the paper (300 words), as well as a CV.
• Abstracts should be sent to [email protected] before 20 April 2011.
• Authors of abstracts selected for presentation will be informed by 30 April 2011.
• A full paper (5,000 to 10,000 words) must be submitted before 15 June to be translated for the conference file. Inclusion in the conference programme is conditional on the submission of the actual paper before 15 June.
• Each presenter will have 15 – 20 minutes to present their paper. Discussion is encouraged. Papers will be made available to all participants beforehand.
• Presenters are required to rework their papers after the Conference, if necessary, and resubmit final versions for inclusion in a commemorative publication.

Contacts

•    For further information, please contact Magnus Killander at  [email protected]
•    For full information on the Centre’s activities, please visit www.chr.up.ac.za