The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) concluded the final round of the 6th annual National High Schools Human Rights Moot Court Competition in Addis Ababa on April 24, 2026. The competition, which began on January 31, 2-026, took place at regional and national levels, involving 182 students representing 91 schools across 12 regions and 2 city administrations.
Eight top-scoring teams from the regional and city administration levels advanced to the national stage in Addis Ababa. They competed in quarter-final and semi-final oral arguments from April 20 to 23, 2026, culminating in the grand final on April 24, 2026.
In the final competition, Mersen Tefera and Bontu Tadesse from Empress Menen Girls’ Boarding Secondary School in Addis Ababa, and Yididya Biruk and Annabel Nebiyu from Haile Manas Academy in Debre Berhan, presented oral arguments representing the applicants and respondents, respectively. Accordingly:
- Mersen Tefera and Bontu Tadesse from Empress Menen Girls’ Boarding School in Addis Ababa City Administration have emerged as the winners of the final competition.
- Annabel Nebiyu from Haile Manas Academy in Debre Berhan won the award for Best Oralist of the competition, while
- Kibron Netsanet and Diniya Nasir from Hill Tops Academy in Sheger City were declared the winners for Best Written Memorial award.
This year’s hypothetical case focused on “The Right to Education in the Context of Armed Conflict.” It was based on regional and international human rights standards governing the right to education, specifically, the principles of availability, accessibility, acceptability and adaptability, as well as the core state obligations to respect, protect, and fulfill this right during conflict. By raising these human rights standards, the competition provided an opportunity for contestants to engage in in-depth research, critical discussion and knowledge acquisition regarding the continuity of education in conflict contexts.
The Moot Court competition was adjudicated by legal and human rights experts and followed formal court litigation procedures. After receiving appropriate orientation and basic training on the subject, the competing students presented both written memorials and oral arguments on the selected hypothetical human rights case representing both the applicant and respondent.
EHRC Commissioners. invited senior government officials, representatives of regional education bureaus, governmental and non-governmental organizations, families of the contestants and students attended the final competition.
Dr. Mizane Abate, EHRC’s Deputy Chief Commissioner, noted that the Moot Court competition is one of the strategies EHRC uses to promote and inculcate human rights awareness, skills, and attitude change among the youth. He explained that ensuring the continuity of education in the context of armed conflict is a vital approach for nations to emerge from cycles of violence and to end human rights violations, by fostering a generation capable of assuming national responsibility. He noted that the competition effectively conveyed this message to students, school communities, parents and other stakeholders involved in the various rounds of the competition. He added: “The 6th National High School Human Rights Moot Court Competition has given us the opportunity to nurture a generation capable of understanding and contributing to current national human rights agendas, bringing us closer to realizing an Ethiopia where human rights is a culture.”