Doha: The first edition of the Arab Moot Court Competition for Human Rights concluded on Saturday. The event was organized by the United Nations Centre for Human Rights Training and Documentation for South-West Asia and the Arab Region, and hosted by the College of Social and Human Sciences at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies.

According to Qatar News Agency, this first-of-its-kind competition in the Arab region brought together over fifty law students from Qatar, Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Libya, Oman, Palestine, and Syria. The competition aimed to develop their legal skills in advocacy and courtroom argumentation through a realistic simulation of international and regional court procedures, with a focus on human rights cases.

The closing session of the competition saw announcement of the winners in advocacy, in the presence of prominent academics and human rights figures, alongside representatives from the UN Centre for Human Rights Training and Documentation, students, and faculty members of the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies.

The Institute noted that the competition had been launched by the UN Centre in March, receiving 53 applications from 53 Arab universities. Applicants participated in a series of awareness and training sessions organized by the Centre's Human Rights Education Unit.

Participating teams were required to submit written memoranda on the competition case, including both claim and defense briefs. Based on evaluation criteria, 11 teams were selected to compete at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies.

After several competitive rounds, the team from Sultan Qaboos University secured first place, the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies took second place, and third place was shared by An-Najah National University of Palestine and Menoufia University of Egypt.

The organizers emphasized that this initiative provides a high-quality academic platform to develop students' legal capacities, integrating practical training with academic study in human rights, in line with regional and international developments in this vital field.

They added that the success of the competition underscores its importance as an interactive platform for Arab youth, enabling them to acquire practical skills and experience essential for defending human rights in their professional careers.