Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court Competition

Teams of two students from every university in the world are invited to submit heads of argument for a hypothetical human rights case. The best 10 teams from each of the five UN region are then invited to participate in the online preliminary rounds. The 50 teams (with the highest memorial grades) 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 and judges of international tribunals.

The 16 best teams proceed to the advanced in-person rounds at the Palais des Nations, the home of the United Nations Office at Geneva, which are presided over by international human rights experts. The Competition is presented in English, French and in Spanish.

As part of the competition, the Centre for Human Rights orgainises the Annual Nelson Mandela Human Rights Lecture, a public lecture held in Geneva around Nelson Mandela International Day (18 July) that brings in expert speakers (often UN experts or academics) to speak on pressing human rights topics. The 2025 lecture was given by Dr Greame Reid, UN Independant Expert on Protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and addressed the intersection of sexual orientation, migration, and international human rights law, specifically focusing on the practical realities of seeking asylum, the implications of recent United States policies on transgender individuals, and the challenges faced by African LGBTQ+ refugees who are unwelcome in both first and third-world countries yet persecuted in their homelands.

Learn more about previous Lectures.

The in-person final rounds of the 17th World Moot Competition took place in Geneva, Switzerland from 14 – 18 July 2025. The programme was structured as follows:

• Arrival & Registration (13 July)
• Opening & Advanced Rounds I (14 July)
• Morning: Briefing & team registration; opening address by the President of the UN Human Rights Council
• Then four oral “Advanced Round I” sessions in different rooms of the Palais des Nations
• Advanced Rounds II (15 July)
• Four more oral sessions, spread across morning and afternoon
• Advanced Rounds III & Mandela Lecture (16 July)
• Morning: Advanced Round III sessions
• Evening: Annual Nelson Mandela Human Rights Lecture in the Maison de la Paix
• Announcement of semifinalists after the lecture
• Quarter‑Finals (17 July) and Semi-Finals (18 July, Morning)
• Two quarter-final sessions
• Semi-final rounds: the winners were chosen for the final
• Final & Closing Ceremony (18 July, Afternoon)

To learn more about registration and preparation for the competition, selection of team to participate in the competition, and practical arrangements visit this page.