“Yachay”– seventeenth annual regional human rights moot court competition

During the week of 16–20 October 2023, the seventeenth edition of the "Yachay" regional human rights competition took place in Lima, Peru. The event was organized by the Institute of Democracy and Human Rights of the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (IDEHPUCP), with support from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). A total of 19 universities from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico and Peru took part in the competition.

The moot court format of the event, held annually and entered by universities from various cities in the region, enables students to put their knowledge into practice. It consists in arguing a hypothetical case before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. The topic set for the seventh edition of the competition was transitional justice in a non-international armed conflict.

"The moot courts encourage students to extend their learning beyond the confines of the classroom and provide them with an opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge to real-life situations," explained Linh Schroeder, head of the ICRC regional delegation for Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador.

The "Yachay" moot court competition also serves as a platform for raising awareness of human rights among students who may spend their careers working on the applicability of those rights. Moreover, it helps students to develop practical skills, such as teamwork, problem-solving and effective communication.

The following were involved in organizing and/or judging the competition: Elizabeth Salmón, executive director of IDEHPUCP; Salomón Lerner Febres, president emeritus of IDEHPUCP and former president of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Peru; Francisco Eguiguren, former minister of justice and human rights of Peru; Camilo Sánchez, professor of law at the University of Virginia and author of the hypothetical case featured in the competition; Marianella Ledesma, former president of the Constitutional Court of Peru; and Diego García Sayán, former minister of foreign affairs, former minister of justice and human rights of Peru and former judge of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

The winners of the 2023 edition of the "Yachay" moot court competition:

• First prize:
  Claudia Canchari and Fernando Peña (Universidad San Antonio Abad del Cusco, Peru)
• Second prize:
  Sebastián Raza and José María Villacreses (Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador)
• Best speaker:
  Claudia Canchari (Universidad San Antonio Abad del Cusco, Peru)
• Best brief, victims' counsel:
  Claudia Canchari and Fernando Peña (Universidad San Antonio Abad del Cusco, Peru)
• Best brief, state counsel:
  Sebastián Raza and José María Villacreses (Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador)