Prof Christof Heyns, former Director of the Centre for Human Rights and Professor of Human Rights Law at the University of Pretoria (UP), was nominated by the South African Government as its candidate to the prestigious 18-member United Nations Human Rights Committee in March 2016, and was elected as a member in New York on 23 June 2016.

Prof Heyns served as the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions for the past six years. In that capacity, he engaged directly with some of the major challenges of the international community, such as the aftermaths of the wars in Sri Lanka and Ukraine. He is also one of three international experts conducting the UN's Independent Investigation on Burundi, and serves as the chair of that body. Very few human rights experts have held such a wide range of top human rights positions in the international system.

Prof Heyns teaches Human Rights Law at UP, the University of Oxford, the American University in Washington DC and the University of Geneva. He has written articles for numerous international publications on topics such as armed drones, the management of demonstrations, the use of force by law enforcement officials, and human rights law in Africa.

Prof Heyns will be in South Africa from 27 June to 8 July 2016, during which he will be available to conduct interviews on his work.

Download the brochure prepared for Prof Christof Heyns by the South African Government.

Download endorsements for Prof Christof Heyns' candidature to the UN Human Rights Committee.

Click here to listen to John Robbie's interview with Prof Heyns on 702.

Media coverage:

The New Age
Prof Heyns get UN post
https://www.gate5.co.za/read/61243/qv/41731753/136975886/77211/j

Pretoria News  
Tuks prof elected to serve on top UN human rights committee
https://www.gate5.co.za/read/61243/qv/41733342/136976469/77211/j

Mercury
UN job for SA man
https://www.gate5.co.za/read/61243/qv/41733737/136976829/77211/j

Cape Times
SA professor to serve on top UN human rights committee
https://www.gate5.co.za/read/61243/qv/41733830/136976699/77211/j

Pretoria FM 
Christof Heyns
https://www.gate5.co.za/read/61243/qv/41733416/13103911/77211/p

Lotus FM 
University of Pretoria Professor elected as a member of the UN Human Rights Commission
https://www.gate5.co.za/read/61243/qv/41734404/13104163/77211/p

Bosveld Stereo
UP professor appointed to position at UN
https://www.gate5.co.za/read/61243/qv/41717717/13100903/77211/p

Radio Rosestad 
UP Law professor to be in UN Human Rights Committee
https://www.gate5.co.za/read/61243/qv/41718433/13101068/77211/p

Vuma FM  - News @ 08:00  and 09:00
SA Professor Elected Member of UN Human Rights committee
https://www.gate5.co.za/read/61243/qv/41737448/13105253/77211/p

Phalaphala FM 
Heyns elected member of UN Human Rights committee
https://www.gate5.co.za/read/61243/qv/41740120/13106033/77211/p

Lotus FM  The Morning Rush 
University of Pretoria Professor elected as a member of the UN Human Rights Commission
https://www.gate5.co.za/read/61243/qv/41741689/13106407/77211/p

Monitor  -  RSG 
Christoff Heyns elected as member of UN Human Rights Commission
https://www.gate5.co.za/read/61243/qv/41743926/13106701/77211/p

Gagasi 99.5 FM 
South African elected member of UN Human Rights Committee
https://www.gate5.co.za/read/61243/qv/41745535/13106885/77211/p

Sabc.co.za
Heyns elected member of UN Human Rights committee

http://www.icla.up.ac.za/news/185-prof-christof-heyns-elected-to-the-human-rights-committee

For more information, please contact Pumeza Matwa at [email protected] or tel (012) 420 6217.