Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria

The Centre for Human Rights (CHR) is an internationally recognised university-based institution combining academic excellence and effective activism to advance human rights, particularly in Africa. It aims to contribute to advancing protection and respect for human rights, through education, research and advocacy. Whereas its geographical scope is international, it majorly operates in Africa. CHR works towards a greater awareness of human rights, the wide dissemination of publications on human rights in Africa, and the improvement of the rights of women, people living with HIV, indigenous peoples, sexual minorities and other disadvantaged or marginalised persons or groups across the continent. CHR has been working on several projects, including a program of advanced human rights courses consisting of annual advanced short courses dealing with issues pertinent to human rights, development and good governance in Africa. Some of the courses address critical issues around ESCRs, such as a short course on Business and Human Rights, a course on women’s rights in Africa, and indigenous peoples rights among others.  Also, CHR works very closely with the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights and the Director sits on the Commission's Working Group on Economic Social and Cultural Rights. CHR has and remains actively involved in the work of UN Human rights treaty bodies and other special mechanisms including, Intergovernmental Working Group on Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises, the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Right to Development and the Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development. CHR is also one of the founding members of the African Coalition for Corporate Accountability (ACCA) and also acts as the host of the ACCA Secretariat, overseeing ACCA‘s daily operations. In partnership with ACCA and the Center of Applied Legal Studies (an ESCR-Net member), CHR has been  actively involved in the process to elaborate a legally binding instrument on business and human rights.