Event information

18 July 2019, 18:00-19:30

Downloads

Invitation Flyer >

Nelson Mandela Human Rights Lecture

Event

 Nelson Mandela, Deputy President of the African National Congress of South Africa, raises his fist in the air while addressing the Special Committee Against Apartheid in the General Assembly Hall. 22 June 1990  Nelson Mandela, Deputy President of the African National Congress of South Africa, raises his fist in the air while addressing the Special Committee Against Apartheid in the General Assembly Hall. 22 June 1990

On the occasion of Nelson Mandela International Day, Michelle Bachelet, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and Albie Sachs, Former Judge of the South African Constitutional Court, will reflect on the current challenges faced by human rights and how to move the human rights agenda forward based on their experiences.

Welcome Remarks

Andrew Clapham, Professor of Public International Law, Graduate Institute
Nozipho Joyce Mxakato-Diseko, Ambassador, South African Permanent Mission to the United Nations Office in Geneva

Keynote Speech

Albie Sachs, Former Judge, Constitutional Court of South Africa

Remarks

Michelle Bachelet, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Closing Remarks

Frans Viljoen, Director, Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria

The Nelson Mandela Human Rights Lecture is presented by the Centre for Human Rights of the University of Pretoria, the Washington College of Law at the American University, and the Human Rights Council Branch at the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights , the Global Campus of Human Rights, Switzerland, the South African Permanent Mission to the United Nations and the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies.

This lecture is part of the Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition and will be followed by a reception.

Registration

You need to register via this online form to attend this event.

Live Stream

This event will be live streamed on the Graduate Institute's YouTube channel.

Video

Nelson Mandela Human Rights Lecture

On the occasion of Nelson Mandela International Day, Albie Sachs, Former Judge of the South African Constitutional Court, and Michelle Bachelet, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, reflect on today’s challenges to human rights and how to move the human rights agenda forward based on their personal experiences.

 

MORE ON THIS THEMATIC AREA

GHRP at LATSIS News

Bridging Human Rights and Data Science at the 2025 Latsis Symposium

22 September 2025

The 2025 Latsis Symposium on Science for Global Development and Humanitarian Action, organized by ETH for Development, gave prominent space to human rights issues.

Read more

GHRP EU News News

Bridging Geneva and Europe: advancing human rights in the digital age

2 June 2025

The Geneva Human Rights Platform has taken its work on strengthening the international human rights system to the heart of European policymaking.

Read more

Sign: National Human Rights Commission of Nepal Project

Local Implementation of Global Human Rights

Started in May 2020

The Geneva Human Rights Platform collaborates with a series of actors to reflect on the implementation of international human rights norms at the local level and propose solutions to improve uptake of recommendations and decisions taken by Geneva-based human rights bodies at the local level.

Read more

Plastic pollution on an Italian shore Project

Unpacking the Human Right to a Healthy Environment: Definition, Implementation and Impact

Started in January 2022

This research aims at mainstreaming the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment and the protection it affords in the work of the UN Human Rights Council, its Special Procedures and Universal Periodic Review, as well as in the work of the UN General Assembly and UN treaty bodies.

Read more

Cover of the 2023 Geneva Academy Annual Report Publication

Annual Report 2024

published on July 2025

Read more