Doha: The first edition of the Arab Moot Court for Human Rights competition kicked off yesterday at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies (DI).

The event is organized by the United Nations Center for Training and Documentation in the Field of Human Rights for Southwest Asia and the Arab Region of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and hosted by the School of Social Sciences and Humanities at the DI.

Students from various Arab universities are participating in this competition, which is the first of its kind in the region, and aims to enhance awareness of human rights issues and develop pleading and moot court skills.

The opening session, attended by distinguished academic and human rights figures, was opened by Dr. Amal Ghazal, Dean of the School of Social Sciences and Humanities, welcoming the participants and stressing that this competition reflects the School's deep interest in promoting the principles and culture of human rights, not only as an academic subject, but also as an ethical and professional commitment.

Dr. Abdelwahab El-Afendi, President of the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, highlighted in his speech the importance of experimental legal education in preparing a generation of Arab youth capable of defending human rights at the national, regional and international levels.

In her speech, Dr. Abeer Al-Kheraisha, Director of the UN Human Rights Training and Documentation Centre, explained that this competition is a leading interactive educational platform, designed to enable students to gain integrated practical experience in the field of international human rights law.

It provides them with a unique opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge to real-life cases that mimic contemporary legal and humanitarian challenges.

Dr. Moataz El-Fujairy, Head of the Human Rights Program at DI and Moderator of the opening session, emphasized that the competition represents a practical step in linking academic knowledge with professional practice. He explained that organizing moot court competitions in the field of Human Rights is a well-established tradition in European Universities, and it strengthens students' capabilities in comparative law, advocacy, and strategic litigation.

Dr. Ahmed Khalifa, Academic Advisor of the competition, explained that the idea of the moot court was conceived to enhance students' research and legal analysis skills, and to provide them with hands-on experience in advocacy.

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