29 August 2026
The fourth regional training course of Dr. Amin Mekki Medani began today, Saturday, organized by the Geneva Institute for Human Rights in cooperation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), under the title “Human Rights Concepts and Mechanisms.” The course is being held online via Zoom and will continue until 2 September 2026.
The course brings together 40 male and female participants from 17 Arab, African, and Asian countries: Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Algeria, Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, Jordan, Palestine, Iraq, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Yemen, Oman, and Lebanon, alongside a distinguished group of human rights trainers and experts.
The course opened with remarks by Ms. Ansam Al-Baiji, representing the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights; Mr. Mohamed Sherif, President of the Geneva Institute for Human Rights; and Mr. Moataz Amin Mekki Medani, representing the family of the late Dr. Amin Mekki Medani.
The OHCHR representative highlighted the importance of partnership with civil society organizations in building the capacities of human rights defenders and enabling them to effectively use United Nations mechanisms. She stressed that respecting and protecting human rights are fundamental to achieving peace and sustainable development. She also noted that the best tribute to Dr. Amin Mekki Medani is to continue the work to which he devoted his life.
For his part, Mr. Mohamed Sherif, President of the Geneva Institute for Human Rights, emphasized that holding the course in Dr. Amin Mekki Medani’s name honors a person who dedicated his life to defending rights and freedoms and left behind an inspiring human rights legacy. He pointed to the growing challenges facing the human rights system worldwide, stressing that defending human rights is everyone’s responsibility and reaffirming the Institute’s commitment to promoting human rights awareness and building the capacities of human rights defenders.
In a moving address on behalf of the late Dr. Amin Mekki Medani’s family, his youngest son, Moataz Amin Mekki Medani, reflected on aspects of his father’s personality and career. He highlighted his father’s firm belief that human dignity and rights are non-negotiable, and that standing for what is right was, for him, an unwavering principle. He called on participants to continue his father’s path in defending human rights, dignity, and justice, emphasizing that the greatest legacy his father left was the impact he made on the lives of others.
The training programme covers a range of topics, including the philosophy and concepts of human rights, United Nations mechanisms, the Human Rights Council, the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), Special Procedures, treaty bodies, the rights of refugees and asylum seekers, combating hate speech, and the role of civil society.
The fourth edition builds on a programme launched by the Geneva Institute for Human Rights and its partners in 2020, with the aim of promoting a culture of human rights and strengthening the knowledge and capacities needed to defend rights and freedoms.
Dr. Amin Mekki Medani was one of Sudan’s and the Arab world’s prominent human rights defenders. He had a career spanning more than 35 years in academic, judicial, and human rights work at both the regional and international levels.