On 2 September 2026, Professor Catherine Kelly, Head of the University of Bristol Law School, and Mrs Abiola Idowu-Ojo, Executive Secretary of the African Commission, formally signed the agreement on behalf of their respective institutions.
Under the MoU, the two institutions will explore opportunities for collaborative research, academic exchange and capacity-building initiatives. Planned activities include joint seminars involving members of the Commission and Bristol academics, research support through the University’s Human Rights Law Clinic, and opportunities for staff and students to engage more closely with the African human rights system.
The African Commission is a principal human rights organ of the African Union, entrusted under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights with the mandate to promote and protect human and peoples’ rights across the continent. The agreement combines the University’s academic expertise with the Commission’s experience in advancing human rights protection across Africa.
The MoU builds on HRIC’s longstanding relationship with the African Commission. The Centre obtained observer status in 2016 under the leadership of its founder and former Director, Professor Rachel Murray, and has maintained its institutional engagement with the Commission since then.
Under this new framework, the HRIC and the African Commission look forward to developing joint initiatives that connect academic research and education with the practical challenges of human rights protection and implementation across Africa.